


Stand Out

by Reader88



Series: Michael Jackson and Karen Lincoln [6]
Category: 1990s - Fandom, 2000s - Fandom, Black Lives Matter - Fandom, Michael Jackson (Musician), Police Brutality - Fandom
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:33:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 60,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24127450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reader88/pseuds/Reader88
Summary: Prince and his siblings, Paris, Jabari, and Kenya, are different from other children. They were raised on a ranch with a mansion, amusement park, zoo, and much more. Their parents are one of the world's most admired celebrity couples. Prince and his siblings didn't go to regular schools and they often accompanied their parents on their trips across the globe. Their differences made it hard for them to relate to other children and making friends was often a challenge. But Prince is smart, talented, and knows what he wants to do with his life...or at least he thinks he does. When a racist cop makes a snap judgment based on skin color, Prince's world is turned upside down. But Prince learns that you can't fit in when you were born to stand out!
Series: Michael Jackson and Karen Lincoln [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/227075
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is the first new story I've posted in a year but I've been working on becoming a novelist. I've written two novels and the first one will be published soon. I won't tell you the names of the titles because I want my identity on this website to remain anonymous.

[ _Flashback_ ]

I was nine, Paris was eight, and Jabari and Kenya were four going on five. We were all helping our older sister, China, make a list of things to pack since she was leaving for college in the fall. True, China was seventeen, not eighteen but she had skipped a grade. Skipping one grade isn't as impressive as skipping six grades like our mother had but it was still a feat that impressed most colleges.

I asked, "Can we come visit you?"

China said, "Of course. Ma and Dad will definitely drop by Atlanta for business and to visit family. Y'all can visit when me as long as my schedule permits it."

China had a 3.85/96.25% GPA and scored 1450 on the SAT. Then China had applied to the legal studies and/or political science programs at Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Northwestern University, the University of Washington, Penn State, Howard University, and Atlanta A&T. Stanford and Northwestern had rejected her but that was always a possibility since Stanford's and Northwestern's acceptance rates are as low as the Ivy League's. But UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UW, Penn State, and the two HBCUs accepted her and she had decided to follow in our mother's footsteps and study at Atlanta A&T.

China had told everyone at her celebration dinner, "It's always been a dream of mine to study at Atlanta A&T. Mama, you're one of my biggest heroes and I hope I can live up to your example and your legacy."

Mama hugged China and said, "You already have."

Then Daddy hugged China as well. He said, "I know I'm not your blood father but I love you, your mother, and your siblings more than anything else in this world."

I asked, "Even more than your music?"

Daddy laughed and said, "Even more than my music. So, China, if you need anything, anything at all, I won't hesitate to leave the studio, rehearsals, or the stage to come see you. King of Pop's honor."

The celebration dinner was in May, shortly before we all had to leave Neverland and accompany Daddy on the second European leg of his HIStory World Tour. Well, Mama, Paris, the twins, and I accompanied Daddy. Tremaine had work to do in LA and two babies to take care of. China wanted to continue prepping for college by getting a head-start on the readings.

The second European leg of the HIStory World Tour took us to several European countries. Communication wasn't too hard for me, Paris, and the twins because Mama and our tutors had instructed us in foreign languages.

Tremaine can speak fluent English, French, Spanish, and Japanese. China can speak fluent English, French, Spanish, and Japanese. She's now trying to master Chinese and Korean.

Paris and I were still working hard to master French, Spanish, and Japanese but Mama believed we would become skilled linguists in a few years.

Even during summertime, Paris and I still do extra work. Not because Mama told us to but because we enjoy it. We love learning new things and experiencing new cultures. Mama even told us to learn as much as we could because during the slavery era it was illegal for slaves to read and write.

Mama told us, "Educated black people are our oppressors' worst nightmare."


	2. Chapter 2

Before Daddy, Mama, Paris, the twins, and I left for Germany, Tremaine and Skye finally tied the knot. Tremaine and his girlfriend Skye Teagarden already had two kids and a loving relationship.

Skye was born and raised in Crenshaw, a tough neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles. She had moved into her best friend's, Khadijah Carter's, house at the beginning of high school because her mother's alcoholism was getting worse. Ms. Teagarden wasn't cutting down on the amount of liquor she was drinking nor was she going to her meetings. So the Carters let Skye move in with them. The Carters live at 3607 Potomac Avenue. The house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms; since Khadijah is an only child, the third bedroom was vacant. Mr. Carter owns a restaurant called Carter's Kitchen on West Jefferson Boulevard; his restaurant serves Louisiana cuisine and is one of Crenshaw's most successful businesses. Mrs. Carter is a schoolteacher at Audubon Middle School. Khadijah had gone to the University of Minnesota to study journalism the previous year but Skye had gone to cosmetology school to study hair styling. By the next year, she'd be a graduate and be able to style celebrities' hair.

After we came home from the North American and final leg of Daddy's Dangerous Tour in July 1994, Tremaine told Mama and Daddy the big news. Mama and Daddy were relaxing in the living room. Tremaine walked in and said, "Ma, Dad, I need to tell y'all something."

Daddy asked, "Is this big news?"

Tremaine said, "Yes, it's life-changing."

Mama said, "Lord, I hope this isn't bad news."

Paris and I had hidden ourselves so our parents and older brother couldn't see us but we could still hear them.

Tremaine said, "Ma, Dad, Skye is pregnant."

Mama and Daddy didn't say anything. I wondered if they had even heard Tremaine.

Tremaine repeated, "Ma, Dad, I said-"

Daddy said, "We heard you the first time, Tremaine."

Mama said, "Good Lord, Tremaine! Didn't your father and I teach you anything?"

Tremaine said, "Of course y'all did but-"

Then Mama's voice got really mad and she exclaimed, "But nothing! Mike, I thought you taught this boy about using protection!"

Daddy said, "Karen, I did! I even gave him his first set of condoms."

Karen asked, "Excuse me?"

Daddy said, "When the urge is strong, a man can't resist his strong attraction to a woman. Now, Tremaine, those condoms I gave you weren't permission to have sex willy-nilly. They were teach you responsibility and safety."

Tremaine said, "Well, when Skye and I had sex in June, she was on the pill but I didn't have a condom."

Mama exclaimed, "What?!"

Tremaine explained, "I thought the pill was protection was enough!"

Daddy said, "When a woman says she's on the pill, you use something anyway. I don't know why kids today insist on learning things the hard way."

Mama said, "You know the drill. Start packing."

Daddy said, "But, Karen-"

Mama said, "Mike, I told our kids that if they bring home babies before they're eighteen and before they're married, they'd better get outta my house. We're not raising anymore kids."

Daddy said, "I don't mind raising more kids. Plus, being grandparents will be an awesome adventure in itself. Tremaine having a child is the best news this family has had in a while."

Tremaine said, "I figured Mama would react negatively and Dad would react positively. That's why I found myself an apartment. There's enough room for me and the baby. I told Skye that our family doesn't believe in abortions so she'll carry my child. She said that balancing schoolwork and motherhood ain't easy but she'll manage. Lots of Black women have done it before her."

Now, I was six and Paris was five. We didn't understand about condoms and what kind of pills Skye was taking. But we understood that our big brother was going to be a father and we were going to become an uncle and aunt. Since Tremaine has plenty of money from his years of acting, making comedy albums, and playing music he'd be able to support Skye and his future kid no problem.

The next day, Tremaine told Paris and I that he was going to be a father and he would be moving out.

We didn't tell him we heard the whole conversation last night. Instead I asked, "Can you legally own an apartment when you're only sixteen?"

Tremaine said, "Yeah, a lotta landlords are lenient like that. As long as I have the money, they'll let me have my space."

Paris asked, "Can we come visit you, Skye, and the baby?"

Tremaine said, "Of course! I expect you to be a loving aunt and a loving uncle."

Over the next few days, Tremaine packed up all his stuff. While Tremaine was clearing out his bedroom, I asked, "Can Jabari or Kenya have your room when they outgrow their crib?"

You see, our mansion has six bedrooms and nine bathrooms. Mama and Daddy sleep in the master suite, which is two stories, has two attached baths, and a private loft. The remaining five bedrooms are occupied by me and my siblings. But since there are six of us and there were five remaining rooms, Jabari and Kenya had to share a room. You'd think twins wouldn't mind sharing a room but, maybe, even twins need their own individual spaces.

Tremaine replied, "Sure, Prince, one of the twins can have it."

Mr. and Mrs. Carter didn't kick Skye out when she told them she was pregnant. They suspected her puking all the time was a result of a stomach bug or pregnancy. They were also upset that she and Tremaine were so reckless and irresponsible. But since Tremaine and Skye decided to have the baby, the Carters supported her.

Tremaine transformed one of the bedrooms in his apartment into a nursery. He had also hired a butler to help him keep it clean and was planning on hiring a nanny to help him and Skye with their child. I think that's one of the reasons why Tremaine and Skye decided to be teenage parents. Tremaine had the money and resources to care for a child so there wasn't a lot of pressure. Of course, Tremaine would still have to balance fatherhood, work, and school but I knew he could manage.

Sekani Michael Lincoln was born on March 18th, 1995 at Dignity Health - California Medical Center. As soon as Mama and Daddy heard, we all went to the hospital to welcome Sekani into the world.

Paris asked, "When can we play with him?"

Tremaine said, "In a few months, when he gets bigger. Just be patience."

Now, lots of people found it strange that Tremaine and Skye decided to have another baby but Tremaine knew being an only child could be lonely for Sekani. Plus, despite the headaches, swollen feet, and huge appetite, Skye had actually enjoyed her pregnancy. So Tremaine got her pregnant again and Obi was born a year later in May. Having two kids together brought the couple closer and Tremaine proposed to Skye. Obviously, she said yes.

Khadijah was Skye's maid of honor since Skye has no siblings nor cousins and Khadijah was the closest person she had to a sister. But Tremaine had a hard time picking a best man since Brandon Quintin Adams, Jacob Wilkerson, Ben Savage, and Kenan Thompson kept pestering him about why they would all make great best men.

I had asked my oldest brother at Neverland, "I'm your brother so why can't _I_ be your best man?"

Tremaine stated, "'Cause you're not even a man yet! Do you really think you can handle all the responsibilities of being best man?"

I hesitated for a minute and said, "Yeah!"

Then Tremaine smirked and the smirk turned into a laugh and he was soon howling. I howled along with him.

After we stopped laughing, Tremaine said, "Li'l bro, the best man has to organize the bachelor party, keep the wedding rings safe, make sure the ushers are doing their job, prepare a speech for the reception, et cetera. I doubt a kid can do all that and there's no way Ma would let you come to a bachelor party."

I said, "You got that right. But some of your friends aren't eighteen yet. Will they be able to handle the pressure of being best man _and_ be allowed to attend the bachelor party?"

Tremaine said, "Yeah, show business helps some folks mature fast. One day you'll be a best man. Just wait."

Then Tremaine had to gather all his friends in the living room so that he could announce his decision about who was going to be his best man. I eavesdropped.

Tremaine asked, "Y'all wanna know who my best man is gonna be?"

The guys all said, "Yeah!"

Tremaine said, "My best man is..." China did a drumroll and then Tremaine announced, "Brandon Quintin Adams!"

Brandon said, "Really?" while the other guys all said, "Say what?"

Ben said, "Brandon is already Sekani's godfather. How come he also gets to be your best man?"

Tremaine explained, "Because I've known him longer than most of you guys. I could have also picked Manny but he's in Atlanta and will be here for the wedding and reception, not the actual planning."

Kenan said, "I'm Obi's godfather. Do I get any love?"

Tremaine said, "Yeah. The rest of y'all can be ushers and groomsmen. I have important roles for everyone. Y'all are like family to me."

Khadijah and Mama planned the wedding. They actually managed to work together without driving each other crazy. Overall, the wedding was a success. It took place inside a tent and Dr. Cecil Murray, the senior pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church, officiated the ceremony. The guests included my aunts and uncles, Grandma Katie, Mr. Kishimoto, Uncle Willie and Aunt Marva, Macaulay Culkin, the _Saved by the Bell_ cast, the Utopian Knights, Nick Cannon, Eddie Rodriguez, Mr. T, Gabriel Hampton, my godparents, et cetera.

During the reception, Brandon gave the best man speech. Brandon said, "I've known Tremaine for years and he's like a brother to me. He's brought joy to others since he was a kid and I know he'll continue to bring joy to his wife and kids. Now, Tremaine always said that when he was an adult, he was always gonna be there for his kids. Mike and Dr. Lincoln are a lot of peoples' OTP so Tremaine had a good idea of what he wanted for himself. Tremaine, you're a cool guy, a great dad, and I know you'll be a great husband. Congrats, man."

Everyone clapped and cheered. China gave a speech and so did Daddy and Mama. I also said a few words about my older brother and I said I would always look up to him. The Carters gave speeches and so did Skye's friends and Tremaine's friends. Unfortunately, Ms. Teagarden didn't show up for the wedding. People could tell Skye was sad about that so they didn't mention her.

Since Tremaine _and_ China had left Neverland, the house and the ranch seemed smaller without them. Personally, my heart felt heavy with sadness. A new chapter of our lives was beginning. One that focused on the four of us while Tremaine and China traversed the world of the adults and tried to give more to God's Earth.


	3. Chapter 3

My siblings and I had to endure taunts from other children. We often got into fights but we never told our parents. We were aware that Daddy and Mama wanted us to solve our own problems since, sooner or later, kids become adults who can't rely on their parents for everything.

Two of our closest friends are Duke and Essence Bloomberg. They live at 4243 7th in Leimert Park, a neighborhood in South Central LA that's been home to other famous African-Americans including Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Tom Bradley, and Uncle Julian. Mr. Bloomberg is the director of the Angelus Funeral Home and Professor Bloomberg teaches English at USC. Duke and Essence had met us when I was six and Paris was four going on five. A teen Mama was trying to help was killed by a member of the Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips, the largest Black gang in LA County. Paris and I accompanied Mama to the Angelus Funeral Home because she had wanted to pay for the funeral.

Six-year-old Duke had walked up to me and Paris and asked, "Yo, what's with the masks?"

I said, "Mama and Daddy make us wear them when we go out with them."

Duke asked, "Whose your mom and dad?"

Paris pointed at Mama and Duke said, "Okay, Dr. Lincoln is your mom which means Michael Jackson is your dad. I'm guessing your lives ain't normal but that's cool. My life ain't normal either. My dad runs this place so I spend as much time with the dead as I do with the living."

I laughed and so did Paris. Duke smiled and said, "I'm glad I made you laugh."

Then Duke asked Dr. Lincoln if Paris and I could come over to his house and that started our friendship. Shortly after my siblings and I returned home from the African and final leg of Dad's tour, we decided to visit Duke and Essence. While we helped one of the Bloombergs' neighbors clean out their garage, a Black boy who looked around my age came up to me and punched me on the back.

I exclaimed, "Hey! What was that for?"

The boy said, "Just felt like it."

Paris exclaimed, "You can't just strike my brother!"

I held up my hand and said, "Paris, I can stand up and speak for myself."

The boy said, "We don't need your kind around here, Oreo."

I asked, "Who are you?"

The boy replied, "Saint Strong."

I said, "Pleasure to meet you, Saint."

Saint said, "It ain't a pleasure to meet you. We don't need fakers like you in South Central."

Then Duke came over and said, "Whoa, whoa, what's goin' on here?" Then Duke got a good look at Saint and asked, "Saint, what are you doing here?"

Saint said, "Mrs. Ellison needed help washing her windows."

I asked Duke, "You know this guy?"

Duke said, "Yeah, the Strongs live on Third Avenue."

Paris said, "He has a problem with Prince."

Saint said, "And you, too. Clear outta South Central and go back to your amusement park."

So Saint knew who and what Paris and I were. I said, "You can come to Neverland if you want."

Saint said, "I don't need your charity. That's all us hood rats are to you Oreos, charity cases."

Then Saint left but that wasn't the last time we saw him. At the rec center in Crenshaw, Saint saw Paris and I again and tried to beat me up. But my siblings and I had been trained in ninjutsu by Mama as soon as we turned six. The world is full of dangers and martial arts would enable us all to take a stand and fight back. But Mama also said that we had to follow the martial arts code: You don't fight someone unless they attack you first.

I gave plenty of punches and kicks to Saint but Saint was also a skilled fighter. We would tussle for a few minutes until I was victorious. Saint was a sore loser and exclaimed, "I'm sure your parents paid for y'all to have martial arts training from the world's best masters!"

I said, "Mr. Kishimoto, my elder brother's godfather, taught my mom when she was a girl and now she teaches me and my siblings. Where do you receive your training?"

Saint said, "Boxing lessons."

Paris said, "That's a good start; hey, Mama has taught us striking techniques and footwork used in boxing. But if you want to develop as a fighter, you need to learn other styles. Duke is training in Kajukenbo because he wants to possess fighting skills that aren't predictable. I suggest you take lessons at a dojo that's run by a woman who's a friend of Mama's. You'll learn hard and soft techniques as well as train your mind and soul in the way of the warrior."

Saint angrily stomped away and said, "Forget it!"

When Paris and I got home, Daddy asked us, "Okay, what's wrong?"

I asked, "How do you know something is wrong?"

Daddy said, "You two are just sitting on the couch, not talking or moving. That means you're thinking deeply about something."

Paris said, "We're just wondering what to do about this boy."

Daddy asked, "What boy?"

I explained "A boy I've had to fight a few times in South Central. I can tell he dislikes us but I don't know why."

Daddy said, "It looks like you'll have to figure out a reason." Then he left us to our thinking.

Then I told Paris, "Why do most of the kids in South Central hate us? Saint is one of the few whose expressed his anger through violence and is persistent."

Paris said, "Have you taken a look at our house? How does it look compared to South Central homes?"

I said, "The houses in Baldwin Hills are a step-up from the houses in other parts of South Central. And our mansion is a _huge_ step-up from South Central."

Paris said, "We have the best furniture, vases, curtains, rugs, and paintings."

I said, "Our parents have enough cash to buy genuine Jacob Lawrence and Aaron Douglas paintings that were created during the Harlem Renaissance. They even hire painters to create paintings of them, us, and our ranch."

Paris said, "We have a staff who caters to our every whim."

I said, "Not _every_ whim. Mama and Daddy don't want us to be spoiled so we still have to chip in around here."

Paris said, "We have an amusement park, zoo, arcade, movie theater, and other stuff in our backyard."

I asked, "How long will it take before the Strongs amass a fortune big enough to buy a ranch as luxurious as ours? How long before the Strongs can live the good life?"

Paris said, "Saint and a lot of other kids are jealous of what we have, where we go, and what we do. Mama says poverty is a cycle that's hard to break out of. Most kids born in the hood, die in the hood. Saint is mad because we live a lifestyle that he'll probably never experience."

I said, "If he does well in school, then he can go to college, get a good job, and buy a big house."

Paris said, "I don't think public schools give the same education as our homeschool tutors."

I said, "Good point." Then I had an idea. I called Duke and asked where Saint lived. So the next time Mama went to South LA, I asked her to drop me and Paris off at 4214 3rd Avenue.

Mama asked us, "Do you want me to go in with you?"

I said, "No. This is something Paris and I have to do alone."

Paris and I got out and knocked on the door. A black woman who looked like she was in her mid-twenties opened and asked, "Can I help you?"

I said, "We're friends of Saint's. We'd like to talk to him, Mrs. Strong."

Mrs. Strong said, "Well, Saint is playing basketball with his friends. Are you friends of his from school?"

Paris explained, "We're homeschooled."

Mrs. Strong said, "I see. Come in."

The house was small; it only had three bedrooms and one bathroom. It reminded us of 2300 Jackson Street and 144 South Avenue. Daddy's old home had two bedrooms and one bathroom. Mama's old home had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The Jackson 5's musical talent and Joseph's strict managerial attitude helped get the Jackson family out of the ghetto and into mansions. They went from counting nickels and quarters to rolling in millions. But what about those other kids in Gary, Indiana? The ones who threw rocks at the Jacksons' windows and got into fights with Uncle Jackie and Uncle Tito most likely ended up working in the steel mill and would stay there for the rest of their lives. They were jealous that God had given the Jacksons a ticket out of Gary while the rest of them remained in the world of the blue-collars with no hope of moving up. Mama's brains had gotten her into Atlanta A&T, medical and vet school, and high success. But most of the other kids in Summerhill stayed in the ghettos of Atlanta. They mocked Mama for being smart but it took her to places those pin-headed kids couldn't even dream of. Now those same pin-headed kids were either working blue-collar jobs or had been killed by street violence.

Soon Saint came home with a younger boy who had to be his little brother.

Saint grumpily asked us, "What do you want?"

I said, "We want to talk. Tell us what is school like for you? Do you get good grades and is the work challenging?"

Saint asked, "What is this, an episode of _Oprah_?"

Mrs. Strong said, "Saint, mind your manners," with enough bite to know that she meant business.

Saint grumpily sat across from me and my sister and said, "School is okay. I get B's and stuff."

Paris asked, "Do you get A's?"

Saint said, "No, but I'm doin' alright."

I said, "You can do better and we'll help you do better."

Saint asked, "How are y'all gonna do that?"

Paris said, "We'll share what we learn with you. Our textbooks, our language lessons, anything you wanna learn."

Saint made an angry face and asked, "Can you teach me to wield a sword like your mom does?"

I said, "We haven't learned how to use weapons yet. We know boxing doesn't involve weapons, just fists."

Paris said, "We suggest either taking Kajukenbo lessons with Duke or ninjutsu lessons at the dojo we mentioned. If you want to be a serious fighter, you can't utilize the same style as everyone else in the hood. If Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee ever fought in a match, who do you think would win?"

Saint replied, "Bruce Lee?"

I said, "Definitely, hands down, without a doubt."

Paris stated, "Bruce Lee was skilled in several martial arts and fighting styles: kung fu, karate, taekwondo, Muay Thai, Western boxing. Then he took all those styles and created a new, hybrid martial art..."

Saint replied, "Jeet Kune Do."

I said, "Glad you know the basics about Bruce Lee."

Saint said, "It takes much longer to be a master martial artist than a master boxer. Plus, martial arts lessons are often more expensive."

I said, "Tell the woman who runs the dojo that you know us and she'll give you a substantial discount. Most things worth getting require hard work."

Paris said, "If we teach you the stuff we know, do you promise to lay off Prince and me?"

Saint scrunched his face in thought, stuck out his right hand, and said, "We have ourselves a deal."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by a sub-plot in a novel by Don Aker called, "The Fifth Rule."

Shortly after Tremaine turned twenty, he received contact from a person who had ignored his existence since he was in Mama's womb.

Tremaine had flown to New York from LA because he said "celebrating my birthday in the Big Apple will be a cool change from the many b-days celebrations I've had in La La Land."

I asked, "What about your TV show, _Smart Guy_?" Tremaine plays T.J. Henderson's older brother, Marcus Henderson. We all love the show because Tremaine is in it, it's funny, and it reminds Mama of her childhood.

Tremaine said, "The next episode won't be released until next month. Taking a day or two off from the world of TV won't harm the show."

Paris and I could tell that something was bothering Tremaine when he visited us at the Waldorf Astoria. We had flown to New York from South Korea. We had been in Seoul for a week because Mama and Daddy attended the investiture ceremony for the South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, one of the twentieth century's astute fighters for democracy. Mama and Daddy praise the South Korean President's commitment to children. Daddy even wants to do a benefit concert for starving North Korean kids even though him and Mama's Heal the World Foundation is already helping out. My parents just can't stop giving.

At the Waldorf-Astoria, we had a late birthday party for Tremaine in the presidential suite and there was plenty of cake and ice cream and laughter. Tremaine was happy as a cat with yarn on that day. But when he came to mine and Jabari's room the next day he looked angry, sad, and worried all at once.

I asked, "What's up, Tremaine?"

Tremaine said, "I have to drive to Newark, New Jersey."

Paris was in the room with me while Jabari was playing with Kenya. Paris asked, "Why?"

Tremaine let out a long breath and said, "My brother is sick."

I asked, "What brother are you talking about? Jabari and I are perfectly healthy and we don't live in New Jersey."

Tremaine explained, "I'm talking about my _other_ brother. My brother from another mother."

Paris said, "Okay... Are you saying that Mama's no-good baby daddy who's ignored you for twenty years and broke Mama's heart has contacted you?"

Tremaine said, "Yeah."

I said, "Okay. Your _other_ brother is sick. What's he ailing from?"

Tremaine said, "Leukemia."

Paris said, "Cancer. Blood cancer to be precise. It usually begins in the bone marrow and creates high numbers of abnormal blood cells."

I said, "Leukemia is also the most common type of cancer in children, with three-quarters of leukemia cases in children being the acute lymphoblastic type."

Tremaine said, "Nice to know Mama's anatomy lectures are paying off.

I said, "I also know most patients usually need a bone marrow transplant."

Tremaine sat on the couch and Paris and I sat on either side of him. Tremaine said, "Aunt Charlene called awhile ago and said that my grandparents needed to talk to me about something URGENT! I was _very_ confused because my biological father's parents have cursed my existence since Mama was pregnant with me. Shoot, they even called me a bastard. So I decided to talk to them, hoping the call wasn't about money because I wasn't giving them a dime. But it turns out they needed something more precious than money."

I asked, "Can we come with you?"

Tremaine asked, "Why?"

Paris said, "You always have our backs and we want to have yours."

Tremaine scrunched his face in thought and said, "Okay."

One of Tremaine's bodyguards drove the three of us to Newark. The drive only took about half an hour. The bodyguard parked the car in the parking lot of Newark Children's Hospital. Tremaine stepped out and Paris and I followed him. When we walked in, Tremaine told the receptionist, "I'm Tremaine Isaac Lincoln. I have an appointment to have my bone marrow extracted."

The receptionist said, "One moment, Mr. Lincoln." She called someone on the phone and told him, "Have a seat, sir. A doctor will come to escort you to the operating room momentarily."

Tremaine sat down and Paris and I sat on either side of him. Some people looked at us funny since Paris and I were wearing masks. Some people came up to Tremaine and asked for his autograph. He happily signed them for his fans.

Then a man who looked _just like Tremaine_ walked in. I immediately knew who he was and said, "Hello, Mr. Metcalfe."

Paris said, "How are you doing, Mr. Metcalfe?"

Leroy Metcalfe told us, "Not well. Tristan is in the Valerie Fund Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. They've managed to keep him stabilized but he won't stay that way for long."

Tremaine said, "Don't worry, Leroy, I'm a match. I had the test done a few days ago here in Jersey; I didn't tell you I was here because I didn't want you to stress yourself out. But they called me and said I was a match and we scheduled the extraction for today."

Leroy said, "Thank you, Tremaine. This means so much."

Tremaine said, "We've had plenty of cancer kids at the Neverland Ranch. Some of them get better and some of them don't. Mama treats cancer patients all the time and Grandma Victoria died of lung cancer in 1982. Cancer kills _a lotta_ people so I'm determined to help save just one cancer patient if I have the power."

A nurse came out and said, "Mr. Lincoln, they're ready for you."

Tremaine left and I said, "Good luck, bro."

Paris said, "You're the best big brother ever."

Tremaine smiled and said, "Thanks."

Extracting blood marrow is a long and painful process. Tremaine might have to take a break from comedy and acting for a little while.

Leroy sat across from Paris and me. My sister and I had mixed feelings about him. I broke the ice by asking, "What do you do for a living, Mr. Metcalfe?"

Leroy said, "I'm a landscape architect and designer. I basically help create beautiful gardens and outdoor spaces."

Paris said, "No better place for that than New Jersey, the Garden State."

I said, "Except California, the Golden State."

Paris asked, "What does your wife do?"

Leroy said, "Jayda's an elementary school teacher."

I said, "I'm guessing she makes less money than you which means you don't have to worry about her overshadowing you."

Leroy said, "I'm guessing your mom told you why our relationship didn't work out."

Paris said, "Partly because you have a problem with a woman being smart, strong, and ambitious. You still have the outdated, sexist idea that men should be superior to women. I'm surprised that you found a wife that will put up with that."

Leroy said, "I've changed since then. If my wife wasn't strong, she wouldn't have been able to deal with Tristan's illness. I wish I knew then what I know now. Your mother is a special woman but I was too hardheaded to see that. So I took the coward's way out and I turned her back on her."

Paris added, "And on Tremaine."

I asked, "How long has Tristan been sick?"

Leroy said, "Since January. We thought it was the flu even though he _always_ gets his shots. Tristan started off with pale skin and a fever. But when his spleen enlarged, we had to rush him here. The doctors confirmed that he had leukemia. We started off with chemotherapy and symptomatic treatment while his mother, sister, and I tested to see if we could give him our bone marrow. Unfortunately, Jayda, Sinclaire, and I aren't a match and neither are my parents or my in-laws. The doctors then checked with all their donors to see if there were any matches but none of them were. Then Mom and Dad told me we only had one other option."

I stated, point-blank, "Tremaine, the son you abandoned and ignored for twenty years."

Leroy said, "I know that, Prince! The Bible says, 'You reap what you sow.' I knew I was nothing more than a heartless jerk by contacting the son I had to abandoned to help save the son I love more than him."

Paris said, "Tremaine is mad at you but not mad enough to let Tristan die. We've met cancer patients who have no hope of getting better. Mama and Daddy always cry when a terminally ill child doesn't make it. We all know how important it is to help someone to the best of our ability."

Leroy said, "It sounds like your parents did a fantastic job at raising you. Does your dad treat your mother well?"

I said, "Yeah, they love each other _a lot_. A lot of celebrity marriages don't last but our parents are as unbreakable as Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee."

Leroy smiled and said, "I'm glad MJ is taking much better care of her than I ever did."

Tremaine had to stay in the hospital to recover from the bone marrow extraction. So the bodyguard drove Paris and I back to New York. Tremaine had called Mama and Daddy before he left the hotel about why he was heading to New Jersey. He said a child there needed a bone marrow transplant and that he was the only match. Those were the only details he gave them. Paris and I didn't tell our parents about the drama between Tremaine, Leroy, and Tristan. We knew Tremaine would tell them when he was ready.

The next day, Paris and I visited our godfathers, Michael J. Fox and Gabriel Hampton, at Michael J. Fox's home.

Uncle Mike asked me over a game of chess, "How's your brother doing?"

I said, "Fine. He has to recuperate after the bone marrow extraction."

Uncle Mike asked, "What about the kid who needs the bone marrow transplant? Is he or she okay?"

I said, "We don't know. Tremaine will call us about the results."

Uncle Gabriel asked, "Any other details you two want to tell us about this surgery?"

Paris said, "Its Tremaine's story to tell, not ours."

Uncle Gabriel said, "Fair enough."

Tremaine called us a few days later to say that he was fine and so was Tristan. Tremaine said, "He's stabilizing but he still needs to live at the hospital for awhile. He's allowed to have visitors so y'all can come meet him."

I said, "That would be cool."

After I hung up, Paris asked, "What are Tristan and Sinclaire to us?"

I explained, "Since they're Tremaine's half-siblings, that makes them our stepsiblings or something."

Paris snorted and said, "Just because we have the same brother doesn't make us kin."

I exclaimed, "Paris, Tristan and Sinclaire have no control over who their blood is or the circumstances of their births! Tremaine might try to form a relationship with them and we can't blame him for doing that!"

Paris asked, "What about Leroy? Is Tremaine seriously going to try to form a relationship with his blood daddy? The same blood daddy that ignored his existence for twenty years while Tremaine was crying about why he didn't have a daddy?"

I angrily replied, "I don't know! Maybe we should ask our daddy to come with us to New Jersey."

Paris asked, "And add more dysfunction to this tale?"

I said, "I think seeing Daddy next to Leroy will remind Tremaine that trying to form a relationship with his blood daddy will be unfair to the men who _have_ been fathers to him."

So Paris and I asked Daddy to drive with us to New Jersey. We said all the pieces would fit together when we got there. When we got to the Children's Hospital, people didn't swarm Daddy because he was wearing a makeshift disguise. I went up to the front desk and asked the receptionist, "Where is Tristan Metcalfe's room?"

The receptionist told us where Tristan was resting and the three of us went to visit him. Tristan was lying in a bed, wearing a hospital gown. Tremaine was sitting next to him and said, "Since Mama doesn't go back on her word, I had to pack my bags and leave. I was actually thinking about leaving for awhile which is why I bought my apartment. I was getting older and I didn't want to constantly be living by my mother's rules. I love her but she can drive me crazy sometimes."

Tristan said, "Mom is always giving me and Sinclaire extra work so that I'll be ahead of the other kids. She says we have to do well in school to get into a good college even though I'm only eleven going on twelve and Sinclaire is nine going on ten."

I said, "Our teachers give us extra work too because Mama also wants us to get ahead. She just wants to make sure college is a viable option for us."

Tremaine said, "Tristan, meet my other siblings and my dad."

Tristan said, "Technically, he's your stepdad."

Daddy took off his disguise and said, "I'm not Tremaine's blood father but I still wanted to be the best possible father for him and China. It doesn't matter to me that Tremaine and I aren't blood because real families are bound by love."

Tristan said, "Whoa, Michael Jackson! When Tremaine told me he was my half-brother, I almost didn't believe him. That meant Dad was the guy who abandoned Dr. Lincoln when she was pregnant with Tremaine. I'd heard Dr. Lincoln's story plenty of times and I always wondered why a dad would abandon his own kid. Now I realized my dad fits into that category."

Daddy said, "Your dad made mistakes, Tristan, but I think he's learned from them. You, your sister, and your mom taught him what true love really is and he most likely feels great remorse for abandoning Karen and Tremaine for all these years."

Tristan asked, "Do you hate him?"

Daddy said, "No. Because of him, Tremaine exists and I can't imagine a world without him. Plus, Karen's expectations for her future soulmate were raised because of your dad so I had to work extra hard to earn her affection. That's actually a great thing because I do my best work under pressure."

Then Leroy came in with some of his friends and a little girl I guessed was Sinclaire. She looked around my age. When Leroy saw Michael Jackson. He said, "Okay... This is awkward."

Daddy stuck out his right hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Leroy."

Leroy shook his hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Jackson."

Daddy said, "Just call me Michael, Mike, or MJ."

The little girl exclaimed, "Michael Jackson! I can't believe it's really you!"

Daddy said, "Yeah, I'm him or he's me. What's your name?"

She said, "Sinclaire Metcalfe."

So I was right about her identity.

Leroy's friends said, "Wow, Leroy! Your ex-girlfriend married the King himself!"

Daddy laughed and said, "One man's ex is another man's treasure."

The guys all nodded in respect to those words.

The visit went fine but soon Daddy, Paris, and I had to leave. Paris and I overheard Tremaine talking to Leroy.

Leroy asked, "Do you want to come visit my house or get together some other time?"

Tremaine said, "Nah. Its cool that we finally got to meet each other face-to-face but hanging out won't work. It would be unfair to Dad, Uncle Julian, Uncle Isaac, Michael J. Fox, Gabriel Hampton, Mr. T, and every other man who was there for me when you weren't. Tristan and Sinclaire can visit California over the summer if they want to; we can hang out at Neverland, Disneyland, Sunset Strip, Malibu. But Ma will _never_ let you step foot on the family estate. Plus, she'll be mad as hell if she's finds out us two are hangin' out."

Leroy said, "I know that's true."

Tremaine said, "But if Tristan or Sinclaire need help with anything else, then you can give me a call."

Leroy nodded in agreement.

I wondered, _How are we going to explain this to Mama?_

[ _End Flashback_ ]


	5. Chapter 5

The day was May 19th, 2008. Soludo and I were in the parking lot of a Taco Bell restaurant in Dallas, Texas. We had driven to the Taco Bell from South Dallas after giving lectures about career options at James Madison High School. A few days ago, we had lectured to students at Lincoln High. Talking to kids in the Dallas ghetto isn't very different from talking to kids in South LA. Our bellies were full with burritos, cheesy fries, and Caffeine-Free Diet Coke. When we stepped outside Taco Bell, the sun had gone down and it was dark. When Soludo turned the key, the engine kept making a whirring sound but it wouldn't start. That meant it needed repairs.

I said, "Soludo, can you bring out the toolbox from your trunk?"

Soludo opened the trunk of his 2002 Pontiac Bonneville. He stretched his arm and took out the toolbox. Then stretched his right arm into the trunk again and took out a wrench.

He asked, "You need this to get the job done?"

I said, "Of course."

I opened the top of the car and double-checked the mechanics. I said, "Yeah, I'll definitely need it."

Then I heard footsteps coming towards us. My ears told me the noise was coming from behind Soludo. I could that hear that the person the footsteps belonged to must be running. There weren't any other cars in the parking lot so the person wasn't running towards their own car. They must be attempting to jump Soludo. I looked at who was coming in our direction and it was a cop with a gun!

I yelled, "Soludo, drop the wrench and get down!"

In South Los Angeles, most deaths are a result of drive-bys. So the best thing to do is to hit the ground so that the bullets can't hit you. If I'm near someone, I'll pull them down and try to cover their body with mine. But if I ran towards Soludo, the cop would most likely see it as an act of aggression so the best thing for me to do was to get down, protect my head, and show that I'm unarmed.

_BANG BANG BANG!_

Soludo fell, face down. Blood was coming out of his chest. His eyes had a surprised look on his face. He kept gasping for air.

_BANG BANG BANG BANG!_

The cop shot me too after he shot Soludo! The cop shot me even though I was on the ground with my hands over my head! Everyone in the Taco Bell and the surrounding area must have heard the gunshots but most folks look the other way during these kinds of situations. I felt a searing pain in my left leg and my left side. The bullets had definitely hit my leg and one of my lungs or one of my ribs. I could feel blood pouring out of my leg and I could feel my lungs filling up with blood. I knew that if I didn't stand up I was going to choke to death on my own blood. But if I did try to move, the cop would shoot me again.

Thank the Lord that a Black woman ran over and exclaimed, "Your heartless murderer! There was no need to kill these young men!"

The cop told her, "One of them had a gun that his accomplice claims was a wrench. That mean the other thug must have one too. They may also have drugs and other contraband in the car."

The Black woman looked at the wrench that was still in Soludo's right hand and said, "It looks like this young man _was_ holding on to a wrench!"

I knew the cop must have mistaken Soludo's wrench for a gun just like how Amadou Diallo's wallet and DeAunta T. Farrow's soda pop and chips were also mistaken for guns.

The Black woman checked Soludo's pulse and said, "He's dead."

Then she checked my pulse and said, "This man is still alive!"

She sat me up and I was able to breathe better. She said, "Young man, my name is LaTanya Reed, you can call me Mrs. Reed. I'm a registered nurse so I can help you. I dialed nine-one-one before I ran over here. They should be here soon."

I said, "There's...a...first-aid...kit...in....car..."

Mrs. Reed looked in Soludo's Pontiac and found his first-aid kit. She applied pressure to my left side and my left leg and bandaged them up. Foaming blood was coming out of mouth, which meant my left lung had definitely been punctured. But I wanted to hold Soludo's hand, give him someone to hold on to before his soul left this world and traveled to Heaven. He was lying there on the ground, his blood leaking from his chest and mouth. That isn't how Soludo should be. Then the ambulances arrived along with two police cars. I was put on a gurney and wheeled into the first ambulance. Soludo was also wheeled into the second ambulance but his body was completely covered by a white sheet. I knew they would take him to the city morgue since no doctor would be able to help him now.

I got a look at the cop who shot me and killed my friend. He was White, a little chubby, and looked like he was in his mid-forties. He showed his badge to the other cops and said, "I'm Dallas PD. I was just doing my duty."

Mrs. Reed yelled, "Killing our black men ain't no kinda duty! Officers, arrest this man!"

The other officers said, "We need to investigate this thoroughly, ma'am," and "Officer Byrd is a good man and he wouldn't act irrationally."

Then the paramedics closed the ambulance doors and we sped down the streets of Dallas. My father was burned on the set of a Pepsi commercial back in 1984. He said he liked riding in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. He said it was wild with the siren wailing. But I wouldn't call this ride enjoyable. The paramedics put a plastic mask over my mouth and nose to make sure I could breathe. They kept telling me that everything was going to be okay. But I cried while coughing up my own blood. I had no idea if I would survive but if I did, my world was going to become even crazier.


	6. Chapter 6

I remember being wheeled out of the ambulance and into a hospital. I recognized the hospital: the Parkland Memorial Hospital. Soludo's mother works here as a surgeon but she wasn't working a late shift tonight.

I told Mrs. Reed, "My wallet and cellphone are inside my jacket."

Mrs. Reed took my wallet and cellphone out of my inside pockets. You see, my pockets are sewn _inside_ my jacket, not outside. This way it's easier to hide my stuff from people. A classic ninja technique.

Mrs. Reed said, "I'll call your parents right away, Mr...?"

During the chaos, I hadn't given her my name yet. "Jackson, Prince Jackson."

Mrs. Reed's eyes lit up in shock because she must have figured out what I was: a celebrity child who had been mistaken for a thug.

I said, "Yes, I'm a member of the Jackson musical family. But someone should call Dr. Nduka and tell her that her son is with God."

Then I was wheeled into the ER and the doctors injected anesthesia into my arm.

He said, "This will make you go to sleep so that we can operate."

I wanted to say my mom is a doctor and that I just got accepted into vet school so I know what anesthesia is. But I lost consciousness and was soon in darkness. Truth be told, the whole world is engulfed in darkness. Bob Marley said, "Light up the darkness," so my family is always trying to spread light into the world. But when Blacks take two steps forward, we usually have to take four steps back.

Then I remembered waking up in a hospital bed. I had been taken out of my black jacket, my blue button-down shirt, my black khakis, and my black loafers. Since my clothes had been stained with my blood, I'm sure they were now being used as evidence against Officer Byrd. I don't know if I'll ever see them again but if I do I'll never wear them again.

Ma and Dad were the ones who grilled the importance of dressing our best. They explained that since we're African-Americans, people will judge us more harshly. That means dressing impeccably is mandatory, not an option. Now, I don't wear button-down shirts, slacks, khakis, and dress shoes all the time. But when I do wear T-shirts, polo shirts, jeans, and sneakers, I always tuck my shirt into my jeans and I make sure my shoes always look like they came straight out of the box. I also wear fedoras, not caps, just like my dad. Fedoras look more distinguished while caps make me look like a hoodlum, even if I'm not wearing it backwards.

Then I saw my big brother, Tremaine, sleeping next to my bed. It was sunny outside which should be a crime. Soludo was gone so there's no reason for the sun to be shining. I didn't know if it was morning or afternoon since I didn't see a clock and my watch had been removed from my wrist. I detached one of my pillows from behind my head and threw it at Tremaine.

He immediately woke up and said, "What?! Who's attacking?"

I said, "Dude, I threw a pillow at you to wake you up. There's nobody attacking in here."

Tremaine immediately hugged me and started crying. He asked, "Are you alright?"

I though that was a very stupid question but I said, "I'm alive so I guess I'm alright. The same can't be said for Soludo."

Tremaine said, "I'm so sorry your friend is gone."

I said, "We just finished undergrad school. He was excited about taking the next step in becoming a neurosurgeon. The world is messed up."

Tremaine said, "Well, Ma and Dad were both sad and mad when Mrs. Reed called them. Then Ma and Dad called me and Paris and we got on the first plane at Hartsfield-Jackson that was flying to Dallas. We had to settle for coach but nothing was going to stop us from being with our brother."

I said, "Thanks, Tremaine."

Tremaine said, "I better tell Ma and Dad you're awake. They've both been calling the NAACP, the SCLC, SNCC, CORE, the Nation of Islam, every civil rights organization they can think of. I sent word to the news about the attack and you should be on there tonight."

I asked, "Excuse me?"

Tremaine said, "We have to grab people's attention so they'll learn about this injustice. Then the chances of Officer Byrd being indicted and jailed for killing Soludo and almost killing you will be higher."

I've spent my whole life in my family's shadow so the world itself barely knows me. I finally got a chance at some normalcy when I went away to school but now I'm going to be as famous as Tremaine, China, Mama, Dad, my paternal aunts and uncles, and pretty much everyone else in the Jackson family who's in show business. But I won't be famous for breaking musical boundaries like Dad or making scientific discoveries like Ma. I'll go down in history as a human piñata, just like Rodney King.

Then I asked, "Tremaine, what day is it today?"

Tremaine said, "May twentieth. It's the afternoon; your surgery took a _long_ time. Two bullets were in your left leg but thankfully it didn't break any bones. The other two bullets hit your left lung and one of your ribs. The lung was obviously punctured by the first bullet but the broken rib created another puncture in your lung. If you hadn't gotten to the hospital in time, you woulda bled to death. Good thing the surgeons here are experts and they had your blood type in stock. The doctors want to keep you here to ensure you don't get pneumonia or have any nerve damage."

I said, "Three weeks ago, the Black students at my school observed the sixteenth anniversary of the LA Riots. The four cops who beat Rodney King were acquitted by a predominantly White jury which triggered the worst riot in human history."

Then Tremaine made a worried face which told me that he was keeping something from me. I asked, "Bro, is there something else that's wrong?"

Tremaine said, "Folks are afraid the death of Soludo could also lead to riots so members of the Dallas PD have been sent into the Dallas ghettos in swarms in order to quell any 'suspicious' activity."

I said, "Great, just what we need. More over-policing and mass incarceration."

Tremaine said, "I better tell Ma and Dad you're okay."

Tremaine left the room and I checked the wires that were hooked up to me. My heart rate was fine and the IV kept me nourished. There was also a bedpan and a spirometer on a chair next to my bed. I hoped I'd be able to walk to the bathroom instead of doing my business in a bedpan.

I know what a spirometer is and what I'm supposed to use it for. I put the plastic tube in my mouth and coughed into it. I had to get the phlegm and other gunky stuff out of my lungs in order to ensure I wouldn't get pneumonia.

Then Mama and Dad came into my room. Mama immediately started crying, "My baby!" and hugged me tightly. Dad also hugged me and said, "My son, my son. How could someone do this to my son?"

I said, "Feeling the love but I can't have too much pressure on my lungs."

Mama and Dad let me go and I asked, "How are the calls to the civil rights organizations going?"

Mama said, "The folks of South LA are planning a march to protest this injustice!"

Dad said, "Our family and friends are planning other protests in Atlanta, New York, Chicago, DC. Soon the whole world is going to learn about what happened last night and make sure there's justice."

I asked my parents, "Do you really think there will _be_ any kind of justice?"

Mama asked, "What would make you say that?"

I stated, "Countless Black people have been killed. Some died at the hands of cops while they were unarmed. But these victims rarely receive _any_ justice. Rodney King was beaten by four LAPD officers seventeen years ago and George Holliday got it on tape. A year later, sixteen years ago, a predominantly White jury saw the tape with their own eyes and _still_ thought the four cops had done nothing wrong. Four cops beat up a Black man almost to death and they walked free. Other Blacks have been killed by cops and those cops also walked away free. How is this situation going to be any different?"

Then Paris and the twins came in and they started crying too. They all hugged me and said they were glad I was alive. But I thought Mr. and Dr. Nduka deserved more sympathy than I did.

Paris said, "I called our favorite wizards and witches and they said they'll help organize protests in London, Oxford, and other UK cities and towns. Racism is also prevalent in the UK and they want to see that you and Soludo get justice."

Kenya said, "Since they finished filming _Half-Blood Prince_ a few days go, they said they'll try to fly out here as soon as they can."

Jabari said, "You should call the rest of the family and all your friends and tell them you're alright. They've all been worried sick."

I said, "I'd do that but I don't know where my phone is."

Everyone laughed and then Tremaine handed me my iPhone. Mrs. Reed must have given it to Tremaine.

I thought back to when my siblings and I had first met the boy who would portray one of the most famous literary heroes of all time.


	7. Chapter 7

[ _Flashback_ ]

It was July 1st, 1998. Canada Day, which is like Independence Day for Canadians. But we weren't in Canada, were in the UK. London to be exact, one of my favorite cities. Mama had been asked to help teach and to give lectures at the Royal Veterinary College, one of the world's best vet schools. They had also given her an honorary degree a decade ago so she had a soft spot for the school.

Dad occupied his time with music stuff and charity stuff. He told us, "A social worker wants me to come and comfort some kids coping from learning disabilities and mental disorders."

Paris and I were playing chess in our hotel room. I asked Dad, "Do you want us to come along and help?"

Dad said, "Yeah, there should be some kids your age you can play with."

Paris gave me a look which said, _I doubt we'll have a choice about getting to be with disadvantaged kids. Plus, they'll probably be more interested in Daddy than us.  
_

I said, "We've worked and played with South Central kids and they've learned to like us for being ourselves."

Paris nodded and said, "Good point."

A chauffeur drove us to a children's hospital; we visit so many of them that they begin to blur after awhile.

We were directed to where the kids were. They were obviously excited to see Daddy but they ignored us. Paris, the twins, and I _totally_ expected that.

While Dad talked with the kids, Paris, the twins, and I sat on chairs and read our books. We figured that if a kid wanted to talk to us, they'd make the first move.

Then a guy tapped my shoulder and said, "People say that's a good book but I've never read it."

I was reading _Redwall_ by Brian Jacques. I said, "Oh yeah, this book is great! My mom recommended it to me."

I put the book down and got a good look at the kid. He had dark hair; I wasn't sure if it was dark brown or black. He also had blue eyes, similar to my godfather's. He was wearing a blue-and-white striped shirt and jeans.

I stood up, stuck out my hand, and said, "I'm Prince Richard Jackson."

The boy shook my hand and said, "I'm Daniel Jacob Radcliffe but my friends call me Dan. Pleasure to meet you, Prince."

Paris stood up, shook his hand, and said, "I'm Paris Katherine Jackson."

Then the twins introduced themselves. Dan said, "Your names are unusual but I like them. They're certainly cooler than Daniel Jacob."

I said, "But you have Biblical names. Daniel faced a den of lions and Jacob is the founder of the nation of Israel."

Dan asked, "Are your family religious?"

Paris said, "Yeah. Daddy was raised a Jehovah's Witness but he left them back in 1987. He couldn't stand all their strict rules, their criticism of his music, and their dislike of Mama. Mama was raised a Methodist and is still a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the world's oldest Black Christian denomination."

Dan said, "Wow. My parents follow different religions. My dad is a Protestant from Northern Ireland. My mum is a Jew from South Africa."

I said, "Cool, South Africa. Did she immediately come to London when she moved from South Africa?"

Dan said, "No, she was raised in Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex."

Kenya said, "We'll be flying to South Africa in two weeks."

Dan asked, "Why?"

Jabari explained, "To go to a birthday party!"

Dan asked, "Whose birthday is it?"

I explained, "Nelson Mandela's. He turns eighty this year."

Dan said, "Now that's old! I was mad when I first heard he was put in jail for twenty-seven years even though he didn't do anything wrong."

Paris said, "Mama says they're always trying to bring us down but we always get back up."

Dan was the only guy who acknowledged mine and my siblings' existence. When we had to leave, Dan asked, "Do you want to come over to my house?"

I said, "Sure!"

Dad asked, "Where do you live?"

Dan picked up a pencil or tried to pick up a pencil. His fingers couldn't grasp it at first but he was eventually able to hang on to it. Then he tried to write down his home address but he could only make scribbles. I guessed that whatever mental disorder Dan had was the reason behind this impairment at a simple task.

Then two adults came up and said, "Okay, Dan, time to go-" and then "Oh my God, you're Michael Jackson!"

Dad smiled and said, "That's me."

Dan said, "Mr. Jackson, Jackson kids, these are my parents."

I stuck out my hand and said, "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Radcliffe."

My siblings and I all introduced themselves and then Mr. Radcliffe asked, "Dan, what are you trying to write?"

Dan explained, "Our address."

Then his dad took the paper and pencil and wrote it out himself. Dan said, "Hey, I can do it!"

Mrs. Radcliffe said, "After therapy sessions with your caseworker, you'll be able to do anything other kids can do. Until then, there's no need to strain yourself."

I could tell Dan didn't want his parents to treat him like he was handicapped. He wanted to show he was handi-capable.

The next day, our chauffeur drove us to Fulham, a neighborhood in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in South West London. London is a _huge_ city and when you travel everywhere by car, you have to learn to be patient. The fastest way to travel in this city is the London Underground subway system but, obviously, we can't use public transit.

When we got there, Dan was excited that we were there. He said, "Our home isn't as big as your ranch but I hope you'll like it."

I, personally, liked the house. It was smaller than our house and other residences in the US but that's common in London since the city has a large population crammed into a small amount of land. Dan showed us the living room, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, et cetera.

Since we were out of the public's eye, Paris and I took off our masks. Dan said, "You look like your parents. You look good. Such a shame you have to hide your faces."

I explained, "Mama and Daddy just want to protect our privacy so that the paparazzi won't chase us when we're not around them. Trust us, these masks work."

Dan asked, "Were you wondering what disorder I have?"

Paris said, "It crossed our thoughts but we decided you'd tell us when you were ready.

Dan explained, "I have developmental coordination disorder, also known as DCD or dyspraxia."

Kenya asked, "You going to tell us what that is?"

Dan explained, "Its a disorder that affects my motor skills. Simple stuff like writing and tying my shoelaces is tough. I also have poor balance so I stink at every sport I try to play. Since I was struggling at school, Mum and Dad took me to a doctor to find out if I had any disorders or disabilities. Nice to know I'm not stupid or inherently clumsy."

I said, "Dan, don't bring yourself down. You have to stay positive. With therapy, you can live a normal life despite this disorder."

Dan shrugged and said, "I just don't feel like I'm good at anything. I'm crap at _anything_ I try and I don't seem to have _any_ special talents!"

Then Dan eyed us and asked, "Are you good at singing and dancing like your dad? Are you smart like your mother?"

I wasn't sure if we should answer this. Is this how comic book superhero Mister Terrific aka Michael Holt felt when his older brother Jeffrey was alive? Mister Terrific first debuted in a _Spectre_ comic last year. He has a natural aptitude for natural aptitudes. Mister Terrific has fourteen PhDs, is a multi-millionaire, has six black belts, and is an Olympic decathlete. He's a polymath, a person who is skilled in several fields of study. Mama is a polymath, too.

Paris said, "We do well in our homeschool work and Daddy has taught us how to dance and play musical instruments."

Dan asked, "Are you good at singing, dancing, and playing instruments?"

I said, "We can't sing as well as Daddy because our vocal range isn't as high as his. But our dancing skills are good and we have talent on our instruments."

Dan asked, "What instruments do you play?"

I said, "Paris and I can play the electric guitar, the bass, the drums, and the keyboards. I also play the trumpet and Paris plays the saxophone."

Kenya said, "We also learn how to speak foreign languages."

Jabari then added, "Prince and Paris can already speak French, Spanish, and Japanese very well. Kenya and are still trying to master French and Spanish."

I didn't want us tooting our own horns too much. I could tell that it was detrimental to Dan's self-esteem.

I asked him, "Do you know what you want to do with your life?"

Dan said, "I'd like to act. I've wanted to act since I was five. But Mum and Dad won't let me."

Paris asked, "Why not?"

Dan explained, "Dad is a literary agent and Mum is a casting agent. Mum has been involved with lots of BBC movies and Mum and Dad both acted as children. But they've told me and shown me how crazy life is for celebrities, especially kid celebrities."

I said, "We all know that's right."

Dan asked, "Will your dad let you be a part of show business?"

Paris said, "Daddy wants us to enjoy our childhood the way he was never able to. But he also said that if we wanna get into show business then he won't stop us. He'll help and support us in any way he can."

I explained, "Plenty of celebrities don't want their kids to be in show business, especially at a young age. Daddy can tell you about his hectic childhood if you ask him. If you still wanna act after Dad's told his story, then I think you've got the guts for it."

When Mrs. Radcliffe announced that lunch was ready, we all went down to the kitchen. Dad blessed the food and then I said, "Mr. and Mrs. Radcliffe, I don't wish to intrude on your personal family matters, but Dan said he wants to be an actor. He explained why you won't let him act so I think it's only fair if Daddy talks about his own childhood experiences. He can explain the pros and cons of show business, especially for kids, more thoroughly."

Mr. Radcliffe says, "Just as long as your father's stories aren't inappropriate."

Dad laughed and said, "I'll give a G-rated version of the Jackson Five days. Let's see, where to begin..."

Paris said, "Start at the beginning, Dad, when you first decided to sing."

I said, "Okay. My brothers and I always sang. When we washed dishes, made our beds, sorted the laundry, all the time we were singing. Mother told Joseph that he should listen to me sing when Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine formed the Jackson Brothers. But Joseph told Mother, 'Jermaine is the lead singer and that's that.' When Mother and Joseph saw and heard me sing 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain' in kindergarten, Joseph immediately made me the lead singer. He held me as the standard. When my brothers messed up, Joseph hit them with a switch, a cable, or even his own belt. He said, 'Be more like Michael' or 'Do it like Michael.' He pushed us to succeed and we did. When we got our big break with Motown, our workload tripled. There were times when I had great times with my brothers, pillow fights and things, but I used to always cry from loneliness. I would do my schooling, which was three hours with a tutor, and right after that I would go to the recording studio and record, and I'd record for hours and hours until it's time to go to sleep. I remember going to the recording studio and there was a park across the street and I'd see all the children playing and I would cry because it would make me sad that I would have to work instead."

Mrs. Radcliffe said, "Wow. At first glance, your childhood sounds pretty bad."

Dad explained, "There were bad times and there were good times. Our hard work, struggle, and pain led to material and commercial success. Overall, I _love_ my music. The only thing I love more than my music is my family."

Dan asked, "What about friends? Did you have any friends as a kid?"

Daddy said, "No, my brothers were my friends. When I became an adult, I eventually made some friends, like Liz Taylor and Eddie Murphy. The list of friends I have as an adult is higher than the list of friends I had as a kid. Do you have friends, Dan?"

Dan said, "Yeah."

Dad asked, "Will they keep on being your friends if you decide to get into show business?"

Dan said, "I never really thought about that. I don't want to lose my friends. I'm an only child so my friends help fill up the spaces in my life that brothers and sisters usually fill."

It was fun hanging out with Dan and his friends over the next couple of weeks. But when we were with Dan's friends, Paris and I used pseudonyms. I told Dan's friends that my name is PJ and Paris told them to call her Katie. This usually works when we want to be anonymous and Dan's friends accepted the pseudonyms without question.

Mama also visited the Radcliffes' house and told them about her childhood. She said, "I also worked hard as a child. I went to college when I was twelve so I was always surrounded by older kids and grown-ups. My hard work also led to success but at a price. My tomboyish nature meant I had no friends outside my family. But when I went to college, I finally made friends. My friends were misfits in their own ways, just like me. When a child has a natural aptitude for anything, music, acting, or academia, then it's best to let them channel their talents. If an eagle never spreads its wings, it will never know how far it will fly."

We soon had to leave England and fly to South Africa. But Dan gave us his house number and told us to call him when we had the chance. Well, we ended up having _a lot_ of long-distance phone calls with Dan. The good news is that the following year Dan's parents decided to let him try his hand at acting. So Dan played David Copperfield as a young boy in BBC One's adaptation of Charles Dickens' story. But the hype around that was nothing compared to the loyal fan base of J.K. Rowling's wizarding world.

[ _End Flashback_ ]


	8. Chapter 8

My flashback was interrupted by Mr. and Dr. Nduka. I had been dreading this moment. They must hate me because I didn't save their son. I could tell they had been crying; their eyes were puffy and their cheeks were streaked with grey.

I started crying and said, "Mr. and Dr. Nduka, I'm so sorry. I wished I'd saved Soludo but the best I could do was warn him. My instincts told me danger was near but it was the kind of danger I couldn't fight against. If a person makes a threatening movement to a cop, then that cop has the authority to kill. The best I could do was yell at Soludo to drop his wrench and to get down. Then I dropped to the ground and put my hands over my head."

Mr. Nduka said, "Prince, we're not mad that you didn't save Soludo. You managed to survive gunshot wounds from a cop and that is a miracle in itself."

Dr. Nduka said, "The only person who did anything wrong was Officer Byrd. Understand?"

I nodded and then Mama said, "Hold up! You were lying on the ground with your hands behind your head and that pig still shot you? You yelled out that Soludo had a wrench and the pig _still_ thought Soludo was packing? He could see you were unarmed and not making any sudden moves and he still tried to kill you?"

I said, "Yeah. Cowards always feel brave when their victims aren't fighting back."

Mr. Nduka said, "Well, Officer Byrd is trying to paint himself as the victim. He claims that some restaurants in the area had been robbed recently and that you and Soludo fit the profile. He thought Soludo was holding a gun and you two were planning to rob Taco Bell."

I stated, "Soludo was holding his wrench because his Pontiac needed repairs."

Dr. Nduka said, "The Dallas PD ran checks on Soludo's license and Pontiac and saw that they were legit."

Mama said, "Let me guess. Since two Black men were sitting next to an expensive car, that pig assumed that the car was stolen."

Mr. Nduka said, "Or that Soludo and Prince got it through illegitimate means, such as selling drugs. We explained to the Dallas PD that I'm the CFO of AT&T and that my wife is a surgeon in this hospital. They found that hard to believe along with the fact that Prince is Michael Jackson's and Karen Lincoln's son. But they're still making up excuses about why Officer Byrd shouldn't be arrested. Prince, as soon as you get well you'll need to talk to the police and tell them your side of the story."

I asked, "What else can I say? The evidence is right there. Soludo was holding a wrench, not a gun. I was down on the ground with my hands on my head. I didn't make any sudden moves. Soludo had no gun and no weapons were found on me, either. The Pontiac had no weapons hidden inside and further investigation should show that the car had some kind of mechanical problem. The Pontiac was in Soludo's name and we just finished our undergrad studies. Shouldn't that be enough to arrest Officer Byrd?"

Mama said, "Prince, you know things are never that simple. People will try to justify what happened because they don't want to believe cops are as crooked as the criminals they should be fighting against."

Then a White doctor came in and said, "Excuse me, everyone, I have some important info about Prince's x-ray results."

Mama asked, "Is there any chance Prince has pneumonia? Is there any nerve damage?"

The doctor told me, "Prince, my name is Dr. Chapman. I'm a radiologist. It looks like the bullets that hit your left leg damaged some nerves. We need to operate on you again to make sure you don't lose feeling in your left leg."

This situation just kept getting worse. I asked, "You mean I might never walk again?"

Dr. Chapman said, "Don't worry, we can fix your leg. After the surgery and physical therapy, you can run, jump, climb, do anything."

Mama said, "I want to be part of this surgery."

Dr. Nduka said, "So do I."

Dr. Chapman said, "I will inform the OR," and left.

Then the news came on and an anchorman said, "Good evening, Dallas. Last night, two young African-American men were shot in the parking lot near a Taco Bell restaurant on Lemmon Avenue. The following is a videotape of the attack from the Taco Bell's security camera. Parents, we suggest not letting your children watch this footage.

The video showed what happened last night. The video even had audio. Now the whole world could see and hear what happened to me and Soludo, just like how the world can see what happened to Rodney King on May 3, 1991.

Then the anchorman came back on and said, "Officer Henry Byrd of the Dallas Police Department believed one of the young men, twenty-two-year-old Soludo Nduka, was holding a gun which was actually a wrench. Officer Byrd shot and killed Mr. Nduka and then shot his friend, Prince Jackson. Mr. Jackson received injuries to his left lung, one of his left ribs, and his left leg. He is now recovering in a hospital." The news showed pictures of Officer Byrd, Soludo, and me. Soludo and I looked alright; it was a picture from college where we were both smiling. Officer Byrd's picture showed him wearing his uniform but he wasn't smiling. He didn't look heroic to me. The anchorman said, "Officer Byrd has refused to speak to the media even though Mr. Nduka's and Mr. Jackson's friends and families informed the Dallas Police Department and the network about this attack which they believe was racially motivated. More on this story as it continues to develop."

Dr. Nduka said, "The word's gone out and, soon, other networks will receive the word."

Mr. Nduka said, "The newspapers will also publish the story."

Mama said, "My cousin Charlene can call some friends of her who work at CNN. CNN can send reporters to Dallas and other cities where the protests are going down."

I was surprised that the anchorman didn't mention very much about me or Soludo. He didn't mention our credentials, our dreams, or what our families do for a living. But I know that once word gets out that MJ and Dr. Lincoln's son was shot, the protests might turn into riots. The Nigerian community will also be pissed when they hear that one of their own was shot dead. Malcolm X said "We haven't benefited from America's democracy. We've only suffered from America's hypocrisy." Cops are supposed to protect us but they have their own idea about who needs and who is most deserving of protection. Cops come to South LA to patrol and control the people, not to protect and serve the people. That is the truth in _every_ American hood.

Then I was wheeled into the operating room so that the surgeons could fix my left leg. They put a mask over my nose and mouth and told me to relax. Then, darkness took over...


	9. Chapter 9

On Friday morning, when I woke up, two people were sitting on my left and right side, an Afro-Latina and a Chinese man. The Afro-Latina on my right was Jasmine Sanchez and the Chinese man on my left was Gideon Zhang. They were both going to vet school in the fall, just like me.

Jasmine asked, "I'm not gonna ask if you're alright because I know you ain't. But does your leg, ribs, and lung feel better?"

I stretched my legs; I had been able to feel my left leg since Wednesday so the nerves had been repaired. I traveled around the hospital on crutches so I guess the doctors would want me to start physical therapy soon.

I said, "My legs and all my body parts feel fine except for my heart."

Gideon said, "That's to be expected. Jasmine and I both flew into Dallas last night. Since your parents bought an entire hotel floor, we were allowed to crash there. Your folks are so cool!"

I smiled and said, "I know."

Jasmine said, "I certainly hope y'all understand why I _hate_ humans!"

Gideon said, "Yeah, Jazz, we get it."

I said, "I get mad at humans and ashamed of some of the stuff we do but I don't dislike _all_ humans."

Jasmine said, "I do and I hate the fact that I am one. If I had a choice, I'd be a faun, satyr, centaur, minotaur, nymph, goblin, elf, talking animal, anything but a heartless human. Animals are _much_ better company than human beings. Dr. Dolittle understood that and I admire him for that."

I said, "I love my family and friends as much as I love animals. There are already plenty of physicians but not as many veterinarians. I found veterinary medicine more interesting than human medicine and I want to do my part to save God's innocent creatures."

Gideon said, "Me too."

I asked, "How are the protests in your hometowns?"

Jasmine said, "The NAACP and other civil rights groups have been planning protests in Tampa since they watched the security tape. Mama and Papi let me fly out here in order to check on you and make sure your spirit isn't broken."

Gideon said, "The Boston protests are okay but the news showed that the cops came out in riot gear. Has me wondering if some angry protestors will challenge the cops. Folks are mad as Hell, that's for sure."

I'd watched the protests on TV and some of them were turning violent. In Dallas and LA, cops had thrown tear gas and even fired rubber bullets to stop out-of-control protestors. Blacks from South Dallas and other ghettos had attacked police precincts, breaking and turning over police cars and even gotten into violent fights with the cops themselves. Dallas has descended into a full-blown riot zone. Five cops have been killed by Black gangsters. One gangster even said he was avenging Soludo's death. But I know Soludo wouldn't want this. Even Dan called me and said that some of the London protests have gotten ugly. Dan, Tom, and Rupert helped organize the first marches in London while Emma set up marches in Oxford with help from her mom, a lawyer, and her friends, who are always ready to take a stand against injustice. Dan, Tom, Rupert, and a whole bunch of other protesters were arrested for disturbing the peace. Emma's dad and Jeremy Sumpter's friend Basil Falconer, who are also lawyers, were able to get them out. Dan said Jo (the name J.K. Rowling _insists_ her loved ones call her) has flown into London from Edinburgh after she and her husband helped set up marches in the Scottish capital. It looks like the London protests are the main focus of the British marches since most of England's Black population lives in the Big Smoke. In fact, more than half of the UK's Nigerian population live in the Greater London Area but people of all races are marching for me and Soludo. And I feel guilty about that. I'm not worth going to jail for.

CNN has also aired the security tape and told the world what I am. I'm sure the reason why the Dallas, LA, and London protests have gotten ugly was when the vast majority of the world knew that the King of Pop's and Mother Nature's child had been shot by a cop even though he was unarmed. It should have become obvious that Soludo and I would never commit a crime since we're trust fund babies and have big plans for our futures. Well, _I_ still have plans while Soludo's dreams are no more. But, like Mama said, cop sympathizers don't want to believe their protectors are crooked. So more excuses were made to justify Officer Byrd's actions.

Then Mrs. Reed came in with a tray of breakfast food and said, "Glad to see you laughing and smiling, Prince. Here's your meal: French toast, bacon, and carrot juice."

I said, "Thanks, Mrs. Reed. I appreciate your acts of kindness but I'm a pesce-pollotarian."

Gideon explained, "That means he only eats meat from seafood and poultry."

Jasmine said, "Prince could just say he doesn't eat red meat but he always has to use complicated vocabulary."

Mrs. Reed said, "I'm sorry, Prince. I can get you some turkey bacon instead."

I said, "That would be great, Mrs. Reed, thank you."

Gideon took the two pieces of pork bacon and said, "I'll happily eat these for you, Prince. Can't let good food go to waste."

Mrs. Reed came back with a small plate with three turkey bacon strips. As I ate, Gideon asked, "Do you think that cop is gonna lie about what happened? Paint himself as the victim?"

Jasmine said, "Most likely. Lying about what happened will be tough since the attack is on videotape. But the four LAPD cops painted themselves as the victims after they beat Rodney King even though he was unarmed and they outnumbered him. The cop who killed DeAunta T. Farrow, Officer Sammis, was afraid for his life and _that's_ his excuse for murdering a twelve-year-old child."

Gideon said, "Those cops are all cowards. The cop who killed Soludo and nearly murdered you is a coward too."

Jasmine asked, "What's the skinny on that pig? Is his ass gonna get arrested?"

I said, "So far, the Dallas PD has suspended him with pay."

Gideon asked, "That's it?"

I asked, "Gideon, if your mom murdered an unarmed Black guy, don't you think you'd pray that people would think she's in the right?"

Gideon stated, "My mom is a forensic scientist so she spends most of her hours in crime labs. Making sure evidence links the right person to the right crime is my mom's way of fighting this war. She's dismayed at the wrongful conviction rate in the USA and wants to do something about it. Unlawful incarceration often happens when forensics do a lousy job."

I asked Gideon, "If your mom didn't know us, would she have shot us?"

Jasmine said, "We need to hear the full story in order to get the facts. We need to understand what the cop did wrong besides kill Soludo and shoot you."

Then Mama and Daddy came in. Mama said, "Prince, your Uncle Isaac just flew in from DC. He's leading an investigation on this case with help from Dallas FBI agents. Since the Dallas PD don't see a need to arrest Officer Byrd, the FBI might."

I asked, "What if Uncle Isaac _still_ can't get a warrant for Officer Byrd's arrest?"

Jasmine said, "Maybe seeing the whole USA in flames will help. Black folks haven't gone this crazy since the LA Riots."

Gideon said, "The protests throughout the USA and England should also help sway local law enforcement."

Then Mr. and Dr. Nduka came in with a Black man wearing an Armani suit and a Versace tie. Mr. Nduka said, "Prince, this is Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins. He's the first African-American DA in Texas."

I said, "I know who he is." I stuck out my right hand and said, "Pleasure to meet you, DA Watkins."

I knew sooner or later I would get a criminal law attorney. My parents' lawyers specialize in business and entertainment and haven't passed the Texas bar so they wouldn't be much help.

DA Watkins shook my hand and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jackson. I am so sorry for your ordeal and the loss of your friend. Because of all the attention your case is getting, my office has been working with the NAACP to help you and Soludo get justice. You offer a unique perspective in this case, one that's rarely seen."

I said, "I know. Most police brutality victims don't live to tell their stories. But there are rare exceptions." I thought about Rodney King.

DA Watkins said, "The NAACP and my office will bring your case to a grand jury. Do you know what a grand jury is?"

I said, "Yeah, a grand jury decides whether or not charges should be brought against a person. If charges are brought against Officer Byrd, the grand jury will indict him. But there's a good chance they might not."

DA Watkins said, "That's a possibility but if we work hard then justice may prevail."

I know most victims of police brutality end up dead while those who survive aren't taken at their word. Rodney King was intoxicated when he was beaten almost to death by those cops which is why he wasn't allowed to testify in court in April 1992. I think that was _extremely_ stupid since Mr. King retold what happened that fateful night at the second trial in 1993. His testimony sounded legit to me.

DA Watkins said, "First of all, I need you to tell me about what happened that night on May nineteenth."

Gideon said, "Maybe we should let Prince get washed up before he starts talking."

Dad said, "Good idea. Prince, we'll leave you to brush your teeth and take a shower."

When everyone left, I limped to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and got myself into the shower. Mrs. Reed wanted to help me but I told her I could do it on my own. She still stood outside, just in case I needed help. I couldn't wait to complete my physical therapy and be able to get out and about again with ease.

When I had changed into a new pair of boxers and my hospital gown, everyone came back into my room. DA Watkins asked, "Now, Mr. Jackson, can you recall what happened that night?"

I told the DA to call me Prince and then I told everyone what happened and made sure not to leave out any details. DA Watkins took notes and then he asked, "Did Officer Byrd tell Soludo to drop his 'gun' before he started shooting?"

I said, "No, DA Watkins, he did not. I know that counts as police misconduct."

DA Watkins nodded and asked, "Did he tell you your _Miranda_ rights? Do you know what _Miranda_ rights are?"

I was really starting to dislike DA Watkins' belief that I had low intelligence. I stated, "My mother told me a long time ago what to do when the cops stop you. Not _if_ , _when_. Mama said that we have the right to remain silent, the right to be represented by an attorney, and the right to a public attorney if we can't call one or afford one."

DA Watkins said, "Your parents have taught you well. Did Officer Byrd tell you any of those rights?"

I stated, "No, DA Watkins, he did not. But he never made any moves to arrest me when he was told I was still alive. I'm sure his plan was to kill us both, not arrest us."

DA Watkins said, "The description of two men who have robbed restaurants in the area doesn't fit your or Soludo's description. The restaurant managers claimed that the thieves were six feet and six one."

I said, "I'm five foot nine, same as my dad. Soludo was an inch shorter than me."

Damn, it hurts to say "was."

DA Watkins said, "Officer Byrd believed Soludo had a gun and that you were planning on robbing Taco Bell. The manager, Roberto Gonzalez, has told the NAACP that you both paid for your food and he didn't believe you were threats. He says that if you were planning to rob him, you wouldn't have bothered to pay for your meal. He's the one who got the security tape to news networks in order to show the world what really happened."

I asked, "Are you gonna ask Mr. Gonzalez to testify to the grand jury?"

DA Watkins said, "We believe it would be a good idea since he can verify that you and Soludo didn't cause any trouble or come off as threats. Mrs. Reed will have to testify as well."

I asked DA Watkins, "Does Officer Byrd believe Soludo's Pontiac was stolen or that he got it through illegitimate means?"

DA Watkins said, "Officer Byrd hasn't confirmed that but it is a possibility since _a lot_ of people have filed complaints over the years about Officer Byrd. Among these complaints are of him stopping Black and Latinx drivers who were driving luxury vehicles. So I believe Officer Byrd also found you and Soludo guilty of Driving While Black."

Jasmine said, "Figures. When humans are given free will, we always make the wrong choices. This is why the animal kingdom is a much better place than human civilization."

Gideon told everyone, "After awhile, you get used to Jasmine's negative perspective on the world."

I asked, "When's the next grand jury meeting?"

DA Watkins said, "We're hoping you can testify in July. Here in Texas, grand juries meet every two months on Mondays and Tuesdays. Is that going to be a problem?"

I said, "I have a wedding I have to attend on July eighteenth. But since grand juries meet on Mondays and Tuesdays and the wedding is on a Friday, I should be able to testify."

Dr. Nduka said, "The doctors want Prince to stay here a few more days to make sure his body is alright. We can have the funeral as soon as Prince is released. Then we can move this investigation forward."

I'd almost forgotten about that part. Soludo's funeral is not the first funeral I've been to. The first one I went to almost tore me apart...


	10. Chapter 10

[ _Flashback_ ]

It was the start of summer vacation for regular schoolkids. But school never really ends for me, Paris, and the twins because we're always studying even when our tutors and parents don't assign us anything.

The summer of 2000 would most likely turn into a special summer because of the news Dan gave us when he called us long-distance from London. He said his parents were letting him audition for the role of one literature's greatest heroes: Harry Potter. Yes, hallelujah! J.K. Rowling's wizarding world was gonna come to life on the silver screen! There had been talks to film the Harry Potter movies here, in the States, instead of the UK where the novels take place. Dan said that he had heard that Ms. Rowling was furious about that and had set some strict rules about the film adaptations. One of the rules was that the movies had to be filmed in the UK and the other rule is that all the actors had to be British or Irish. Thousands of kids had already started auditioning for the movie months ago but Mr. and Mrs. Radcliffe thought a movie series like Harry Potter would greatly affect Dan's life. But Mama and Dad had been able to convince the Radcliffes to let Dan audition for the role of Harry.

Mama said, "It's a great opportunity and Dan would learn so much!"

Dad said, "Dan has the chance to be part of something bigger than himself. Only a handful of people get to do anything important and life-changing. Give Dan a chance to fly and take the world by storm."

Paris and I were busy helping out some kids stuck in summer school. Among these kids are Saint's friend, Curtis Hayward, or Curt for short. Curt is the same age as me and Saint and he has a little sister named Charmaine who is Paris' age. Saint and his little brother, Simba, had warmed up to me and Paris over the past three years. Their friends had also warmed up to us so Paris and I don't get into as many fights as before. Whenever Paris and I come to the rec center to help the summer school students, Charmaine always gives me a giggly smile. It's cute but also distracting.

While I was helping Curt with his homework, he said point-blank, "My sister has the hots for you."

I said, "Really?" with great surprise. I'm a lot of things but somebody's crush? That's a first.

Curt said, "Since she's a year younger I told her you might not be interested. Besides, Mom says she's too young to be thinking about boys in that way."

I asked, "Your mama going to kick you and Charmaine out if you bring home babies before you're eighteen?"

Curt said, "You bet. She said she's not raising anymore kids. Charmaine and me give her all the trouble she needs."

I corrected his grammar by saying, "Charmaine and _I_ , Curt."

Curt rolled his eyes and said, "Okay, Professor."

Some kids in South Central call me Professor, Bookworm, or Brainiac because I'm smart. I prefer those nicknames to Oreo and Sellout. Some South Central kids still give me and Paris a hard time because we're rich Black kids who don't live in the center of LA Black culture but Saint, Simba, Curt, and others always stick up for me and Paris.

Curt and his little sister live with their mother. Their dad was incarcerated at San Quentin for grand theft and later died by shank stabbing.

Curt and I would often play basketball at the rec center. Basketball and baseball are the sports I choose to play even though people think martial arts should count as a sporting activity. But Mama explained to us that ninjutsu is not a sport or a recreational activity. Ninjutsu is the supreme art of war, the science of fighting so fiercely and precisely and thoroughly that your enemies are defeated and your survival is the only possible outcome.

My martial arts training helped hone my instincts, which is necessary when visiting South Central. The vast majority of South Central is very dangerous, mostly because of the Bloods' and Crips' criminal activities and the hostile policing that tries to tail it. Some Bloods and Crips hang out at the rec center but only if they have no guns, drugs, knives, and stuff like that.

A kid stepped on Curt's Adidas sneakers and I knew a fight would go down. Scuffing a guy's sneakers is a capital crime in the hood.

Curt screamed, "You're gonna pay for that, nigga!"

The kid, who looked like he was the same age as Curt, said, "Well bring it, nigga!"

Curt and the kid started throwing punches. I could tell they had some boxing training but weren't serious fighters. _A lot_ of guys in the hood aren't serious fighters which is why I've won all the fights I've engaged in in South Central.

Curt and the kid kept on fighting while the crowd of kids egged them on. Some kids said, "Get him, Curt!" and "You can take this nigga, David!" I didn't break up the fight between Curt and David nor did anyone else. Mama said you shouldn't interfere with fights because people often need to resolve their own problems. Good thing an adult came and broke up the fight. Curt and David were forced to cool off in separate rooms and I went to comfort Curt.

I told him, "There are times to fight but that wasn't one of those times."

Curt said, "Dude, I need to maintain my _reputation_!"

I said, "Curt, you don't have a _reputation_!"

Curt said, "I've got pride, Prince. Just like you. You always get into fights and you come out on top."

I explained, "When a person throws the first punch, then I _have_ to fight in order to defend myself. I also fight for people who can't defend themselves. That's the martial arts code. All warriors, guardians, and men should follow it."

Curt rolled his eyes and I guess he didn't get my moral.

A few days later, I had finished reviewing Curt's homework in his house. Then someone yelled through the window, "Curt, the fire hydrant's busted open! You know what that means!"

Curt yelled, "Yeah, Calvin, I know what that means!"

I said, "A hood water park."

Curt clapped me on the back and said, "Glad to see you're finally getting accustomed to hood culture!"

Curt, a bodyguard named Bubba, and I all left the Hayward house. But we never made it to the hood water park.

As were walking I heard something at the gas station convenience store. My instincts told me to look around me and I saw a red Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme parked near the gas station. I heard a teen's voice say, "Say anything to anyone and you're dead, old man!"

Then a Blood wearing an LA Clippers jersey and red bandanna covering half his face came out of the store with a duffel bag. My instincts told me the Blood had robbed the store and the money was in the duffel bag.

Curt idiotically said, "You can't be stealin' shit on Rollin' Sixties turf!"

_BAM BAM BAM BAM!_

The Blood aimed a Glock at Curt and he fell. Bubba covered my body with his, since it was his job to guard my life with his. I ran to Curt to see where the wounds were. There was blood coming out of his chest. Curt kept choking on his own blood so I sat him up.

I yelled, "Someone help me! Call an ambulance! Call nine-one-one!"

I put pressure on his chest but it was no good. Curt's eyes rolled up, his eyelids closed, and he stopped breathing. All I could do was hold him and cry like a baby.

I was still holding Curt when the ambulances finally came.

The paramedic said, "Kid, you have to let go. I know how you must be feeling but we need to get your friend to the morgue."

Unless the paramedic had seen their friend shot and killed, there was _no way_ he knew how I felt. The bodyguards were able to pry Curt out of my arms. They put him on a gurney and covered his body with a white sheet.

The LAPD showed up and said they needed to ask me a couple of questions.

Bubba said, "Let Prince breathe. He needs time to process this before he can give a statement to the cops."

The cops told me to come down to the station when I was ready. Bubba drove me to my parents' apartment in Encino.

He said, "Prince, you need to change out of those clothes."

I asked, "Can the bloodstains be washed out?"

Bubba said, "I don't think so."

Then the door opened and Dad walked in. He exclaimed, "I drove here as soon as Bubba called me!"

I then broke down and couldn't stop crying. Dad hugged me and said, "Shhhhhh, Prince. It's not your fault."

I said, "Yes, it is. I should have pulled Curt to safety. Then those Bloods wouldn't have gotten him."

Dad got me out of my bloody clothes and Nike sneakers. He put them in a garbage bag and I never saw them again. Then he carried me to the bathtub, filled it with hot water, and helped me scrub Curt's blood off my body. Then Dad dried me off; helped me into some boxers, a T-shirt, and sweatpants; and kept hugging and holding me.

Later Mama showed up and she held me too. She said, "Prince, baby, it wasn't your fault. Remember that. There's a lot of evil in this world and you may be able to stop some of it, but not all of it."

I went to the police station the next day. Mama decided to come with me while Dad had to work on his music. We knew that if he showed up, the paparazzi would definitely be all up in our business. Two cops named Detective Williams and Detective Anderson interrogated me. I told them how Curt got shot even though he wasn't the main target. I gave them a description of the car the Blood was driving but I didn't see the license plate.

Then Detective Williams asked me, "Now, was Curt a member of the Rollin' Sixties or any Crips sets?"

I was astounded by that question. The detectives had given me smiles and polite greetings but I had a feeling something was wrong. The smiles they gave made it clear they didn't see Curt's death as a crime, but as a way to finally nail the Bloods and the Crips. The detectives wouldn't lose any sleep over Curt's death, that's for sure.

I said politely, "No, Curt wasn't like that." _Even though he cut class constantly and was in summer school. He just needed a second chance, something Blacks are consistently denied in our world today._

Detective Williams asked, "Did Curt ever steal small things, like candy or toys?"

I said, "Not to my knowledge."

Detective Williams asked, "Did Curt sell drugs?"

I said, "Definitely not."

Mrs. Hayward is having trouble making ends meet but she wouldn't let Curt become a gangbanger in order to help the situation.

Mama said, "Hold on. You keep asking if Curt did anything wrong even though he wasn't affiliated with any gangs. Curt was a twelve-year-old kid who was caught in the crossfire of senseless gang violence. Do you care more about finding his murderers or do you think his life was worthless and not worth fighting for?"

Detective Williams explained, "Ma'am, we need all the facts in order to determine if this was a planned attack. If it was planned, then it's first- or second-degree murder. If it wasn't planned, then it's voluntary manslaughter. I think we have enough facts to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice."

Justice. That's a virtue that's almost nonexistent in the hood and throughout most of the world.

The Angelus Funeral Home was in charge of Curt's funeral, which was no surprise. Mr. Bloomberg has buried plenty of South Central's residents. The funeral was held at the Haywards' church home, Second Baptist Church. It was the second Black church built in LA and it has a long, proud history. Douglas came with me and Paris to the funeral. Mama and Dad didn't come because they didn't want Second Baptist swarmed by paparazzi. The twins were considered too young to go to a funeral and seeing Curt's corpse might freak them out.

Seeing Curt in a casket was creepy because he almost looked like he was sleeping. He also didn't look like himself. He was wearing a black suit with a white tie. The Angelus Funeral Home had also put make-up on him even though he wasn't an actor or a singer or any kind of entertainer. Dad wears make-up everyday and Tremaine and China also wore make-up when shooting TV shows and movies. But Curt's skin was lighter than usual and his lips were pinker than usual. I wondered if Curt could see his own funeral either as a ghost or up in Heaven. He must think he looks ridiculous.

The pastor said some nice words and Mrs. Hayward gave Curt's eulogy. But she couldn't finish it because she broke down and cried. Mrs. Hayward had to be led out of the church and her sister finished reading the eulogy. Then the choir sang some gospel songs that didn't lift my heart since I saw no reason to be happy when a friend of mine was dead. I also found myself asking why God would let Curt die. Why couldn't He work a miracle, like He did back in ancient times? After the praise songs, the pallbearers carried Curt's casket out of the church and into a hearse. They would drive to the cemetery and bury him there. But I didn't want to see Curt buried six feet under so I asked Douglas to drive us back to Encino.

I might have spent the rest of that summer moping if Dan didn't keep me, Paris, the twins, and our parents updated on his auditions. Producer David Heyman had asked Dan to audition for the role. Dad called Chris Columbus, the guy who was directing _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_ (I know it's _Philosopher's Stone_ in the UK but _Sorcerer's Stone_ is the official US title of Harry's first adventure), because he knew him through Mac Culkin. Chris Columbus directed the first two _Home Alone_ movies so he's had experience working with kids.

While I was reading under the Giving Tree, EJ Bixby, a White boy with blond hair and hazel eyes came up to me. The Bixbys own a huge grape farm and also own a couple of cows that help them trim the grass. Sometimes the Bixbys' cows graze on our land along with the livestock of other ranchers. The adults chat it up with my parents but their kids usually ignored me and my siblings. Over time, EJ warmed up to me when he saw I wasn't a spoiled brat and he's among the few close friends I have.

I asked EJ, "What do you want?"

EJ explained, "To make sure you're okay."

I asked him, "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

EJ explained, "Because I can tell when someone is grieving, especially since I had to mourn the death of my grandma a couple of years ago. So, who died?"

I didn't want to vent out my feelings but I also didn't want to keep them locked inside me. I didn't see the point in not telling EJ. This is one of the reasons why you make friends. You need to share life with others, including the bad events. So I told EJ about Curt, how he died, and how I shed tears like a broken water faucet. Then my nose got runny, my eyes got stingy, and I started bawling.

Believe it or not, EJ hugged me and said, "Instead of grieving lost loved ones, we can think how nice it was to know them and celebrate the lives they lived."

I stopped crying and said, "That's beautifully poetic."

EJ said, "Dude, I didn't make it up. That's what my guidance counselor told me."

I said, "Well, your guidance counselor sounds very wise."

EJ said, "Thanks."

EJ stopped by two days later and also brought his cousin Kevin Alston, who lives in Santa Barbara. Kevin is another guy I consider a friend but not a close friend since he lives an hour away from the ranch.

Kevin said, "We wanna make sure you still know there's lots of life to be lived. We're gonna make sure you have a fun summer and we won't take no for an answer!"

Soon, I was hanging out with EJ and Kevin as much as I hang out with Duke and Saint. It looks like my circle of close friends got a little bigger.

Tremaine and Skye had also bought a mansion and they and their four kids had moved into it over the summer. Tremaine wouldn't let us see it until he, his wife, and his kids had completely moved in. Then he told us we all had to wear blindfolds and we couldn't take them off until we got to the house.

So, my parents, my siblings, and I all had blindfolds over our eyes while Douglas drove our limo to my brother's new house. When we got there, Douglas excitedly said, "Mr. Jackson, Dr. Lincoln, Masters Prince and Jabari, and Misses Paris and Kenya, this is a _wonderful surprise_!"

Our bodyguards parroted what Douglas said and Dad asked, "Can we take off the blindfolds now?"

Douglas said, "I'll lead you into the estate." So we all held hands, like a chain, and Dad held Douglas' hand.

After we walked several steps, I heard my big brother say, "Alright, now y'all can see the surprise!"

I took off my blindfold and so did everyone else. I almost couldn't believe my eyes! There were plenty of pictures of this house in our family photo albums and old issues of _Ebony_ and _Jet_ magazine. I hadn't been here since I was a baby but I never thought I'd step foot here again.

Mama exclaimed, "Tremaine, you bought our old house!"

Tremaine said, "Yep, what better place to raise my kids than the place where you first raised me, China, and Prince?"

I said in awe, "We're back at Two-Six-One Baroda Drive."

Tremaine said, "You should see what it looks like on the inside!"

Obviously, the house looked different from the old photos because there was different furniture in all the rooms. Overall, it was a beautiful house.

Douglas walked around the Gourmet Chef's kitchen and said, "The kitchen still looks the same. I miss cooking meals here although the Neverland kitchen is also wonderful."

Upstairs, China pointed which rooms had been hers, Tremaine's, and mine. Sekani was now sleeping in Tremaine's old room, Obi was sleeping in China's old room, and Amandla and Rashida were sleeping in my old nursery. The two girls were happily playing with their toys while their nanny watched over them.

That meant Tremaine was sleeping in Ma and Dad's old room a.k.a. the master bedroom. China couldn't stop laughing when she saw the master bedroom and Tremaine asked, "What's so funny?"

I explained, "Big bro, you moved into the sex room!"

China, Paris, Dad, and I all laughed. Tremaine said, "I'm sure other folks hit third base in here before Ma and Dad got together."

But we all kept laughing until Ma gave us one of her looks. We immediately swallowed our chuckles.

The mansion has five bedrooms and six bathrooms, which meant that, once Amandla and Rashida grew up a little, everyone would have their own room. The mansion had six bathrooms, which also meant every person got their own bathroom. Except for Tremaine and Skye, they would share the master bathroom.

There was also a room Tremaine and Skye had turned into gym. There was a pool in the backyard along with a pool-house that was used to house Douglas and other employees. There was also a four-car garage and a six-car motor court. Tremaine's 1970 Dodge Charger R/T and 1999 Jaguar XJR were parked in the garage along with Skye's 1999 Buick Lesabre. Yep, it looked like Ma and Dad weren't the only ones who could create and recapture magic.

In August, Dan called Neverland. It was twelve o'clock PM/noon. London is eight hours ahead of California which meant it was eight o'clock PM in the UK; Dan had become knowledgeable about different time zones. I answered the phone and Dan said, "Put the phone on speaker."

I put it on speaker and yelled, "Everybody, Dan has big news!"

Everyone came running to the phone and Mama yelled, "What'd I tell you about yelling in my house?"

I exclaimed, "But Dan has big news!"

Dan said through the phone, "Is everyone there?"

Paris said, "Yeah, us kids, our parents, and Douglas."

Dan exclaimed, "I got the part of Harry Potter!"

Paris screamed, the twins cheered, Douglas clapped, and Mama and Dad exclaimed, "Congratulations, Dan!"

I added, "We're so happy for you, Dan! You're about to embark on an unforgettable, magical journey."

Dan and his co-stars, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, were introduced to the world at a press conference. It felt like the Golden Trio had walked out of the pages and into the real world. Dan said it would be cool to be famous, Emma said she was going to stick her money in her bank account until she was twenty-one, and Rupert said "Well, speaking as a wizard, well, we're going to get muggle money and I don't really understand it."

Then Dan called us long-distance again and said we all had to talk to his co-stars and J.K. Rowling in order to prove that he knew us all. He put us on speaker and Dad introduced himself.

Mama and many fans say Dad's speaking voice is as beautiful as his singing voice. Dad said, "Hi, Ms. Rowling, Rupert, and Emma. I certainly hope you recognize my voice when I'm not singing."

Then we heard a thud and I asked, "Dan, what happened?"

Dan explained, "Jo fainted."

Then Emma screamed and when she stopped, we finally had a conversation with Rupert, Emma, and Jo (when she regained consciousness).

Filming for the first Harry Potter movie began at the end of September. Dan asked when we would visit the UK again so that we could meet the cast, see the sets, and Dad could impart his 'child star and show biz' wisdom on them.

I told Dan, "Good news, Dan. Mama and Dad just received word that they're going to receive honorary degrees from the University of Oxford! So it looks like we'll be in your neck of the woods very soon!"

[ _End Flashback_ ]


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, China and her husband/my brother-in-law, Mehcad Brooks, called and said that China had finally given birth to their second baby. The baby was another girl, named Layla.

Mehcad had explained, "She was born at three o'clock in the morning, in the middle of the night. That's why we chose Layla over Nia, Iesha, and Malika. Layla means 'night' in Arabic and is often given to girls who are born during the night. Layla signifies 'daughter of the night' or 'night beauty.'"

I repeated, "Layla, the daughter of the night. I like it."

China and Mehcad's first daughter was born last year in January, twelve days after my nineteenth birthday. Her name is Nevaeh Brooks. Nevaeh is heaven spelled backwards.

Then China asked me, "Are you doing alright, Prince?"

I said, "I'm healing."

Mehcad said, "We can't wait for you to come home so you can spend quality time with your nieces."

I said, "I'm looking forward to that."

Later that day, my godparents, Liz Taylor and Michael J. Fox, and Kenya's godfather, Mr. T, came to my hospital room. My friends from college, Adonis "Donnie" Powers and Hakim Khan, were with them. Donnie would be graduating with a BBA in Finance, Investment, and Banking and Hakim would be graduating with a BA in Legal Studies and Political Science and a minor in Philosophy.

They all hugged me, tighter and longer than they usually would. Seeing someone broken is like seeing them naked. You can never look at them the same way again.

I said, "You didn't need to fly all the way out here."

Auntie Liz said, "Nonsense, Prince. Nothing can keep me away from my godson!"

Uncle Mike clarified, " _Our_ godson, Liz."

Mr. T balled his hands into fists and said, "I pity the fool who shoots an unarmed man! That pig better hope he never crosses paths with me! I'll beat him so bad his grandkids are always gonna feel the pain!"

Donnie, a Black guy who's two inches taller than me, said, "The protests in the Big Apple were no joke."

Hakim, a Bangladeshi guy who's an inch shorter than me, said, "Harlem takes pride in its Black heritage so calling everyone there to join in a march was no problem."

Donnie said, "The folks in my hood are still marching for you and Soludo and we won't stop until you two get justice."

Hakim said, "Folks are protesting in Jackson Heights and other NY neighborhoods. My parents are also marching. Dad said we came here for a better life but its clear which people Americans believe deserve to reap the American Dream. This wrong needs to be righted."

Donnie said, "This world was made for _all_ men."

Auntie Liz said, " _And_ women."

The next day, Sunday, I listened to a church sermon via the Internet. The pastor said a prayer for me and Soludo.

After church, my cell rang and the caller ID said **SEVEN CANNON**. I answered, "Hello, Seven, how's my godbrother doing?"

Seven replied, "Alright, my brother."

Then another voice said, "Yo, Prince, it's me, Cesar. We've been so busy protesting that we haven't had the chance to call you and ask if you're okay."

Seven said, "That's a stupid question, dumbass. Prince is still in the hospital and Soludo is _dead_! Of course Prince ain't alright!"

Seven and Cesar are Nick Cannon's and Eddie Rodriguez's sons. They were born a week apart in May 1993. My dad is Seven's godfather which makes him my godbrother. My mom is the godmother of Uncle Mike's son, Samuel Michael Fox, so Sam is also my godbrother. It's cool having other family but I hang out with Seven more than Sam since Seven lives in LA and Sam lives in New York.

Then a girl's voice exclaimed, "Sev, C, we wanna say hi to Prince too." Then she exclaimed, "Prince, are you _really_ okay?"

I replied, "Yes, Cleo, I'm healing up very well."

Then another girl's voice said, "Prince, we're not gonna stop marching until you and Soludo get justice! That's a promise!"

I said, "That's very comforting, Rosie, thank you."

Cleopatra Cannon and Rosemary Rodriguez were also born a week apart in July 1995. They're the same age as my nephew Sekani; in fact, Cleo has a crush on Sekani. I'm not sure if Sekani has noticed or not because some guys are _clueless_ when it comes to romance. I'll tell him when I fly home to California. I know it's weird having nephews and nieces who aren't that much younger than me. But I'm still Uncle Prince, regardless of age. This must be how Auntie Lisa and Uncle Joshua felt when Tremaine and China were born.

After I talked to the Cannons and Rodriguezes, I limped around the hospital in my crutches. I found my way to the kids' room, limped to a table, and saw that there were pencils, crayons, markers, and paper.

I immediately started sketching and a little girl in a hospital gown asked me, "What are you drawing?"

I looked at my paper and then at her and said, "Milestone heroes."

The little girl asked, "What are Milestone heroes?"

When someone asks this question, it's a sign that they're not a major comic book geek nor are they experts on Black culture and Black history. Soon me and three kids were drawing and sketching. I'd drawn sketches of the Big Bang, which gave Virgil Hawkins his power but also killed 90% of gangsters who were in the area. I always thought those gangsters didn't deserve to die like that. They were still humans and shouldn't have been defined by their mistakes. I drew sketches of Static electrifying police cars. I drew sketches of Icon and Rocket shielding protesters from bullets. I drew pictures of Hardware giving a speech to a crowd.

Then one of the kids' eyes widened with wonder and then she screamed for joy! I jumped a little but I figured my parents or godparents had shown up and now the kids would want pictures and autographs. Then I heard a familiar voice say, "Bloody hell, I'll never be surprised at how much energy sick kids really have."

I turned around and saw Jo, Dan, Rupert, Emma, and Tom. "Bloody hell" is Rupert's catchphrase, by the way; it's also become Ron Weasley's catchphrase as well. The rest of the kids all screamed and immediately ran up to them, grabbing them and hugging them.

Dan said, "Always nice to meet loving fans."

I limped up to them and said, "Kids, any chance I can hug my friends?"

The kids immediately detached themselves from Jo and the wizards. Then Jo hugged me, tighter and longer than usual, but that's to be expected. Then Dan, Rupert, Emma, and Tom gave me hugs too. Emma started crying so I knew I had to say something to comfort her.

I said, "Don't worry, Em. My leg is healing and I'll be able to walk and run as easily as I did before. My rib and lung are alright too."

Jo asked, "What about your soul?"

I quietly said, "That's still healing too."

The kids then asked Jo, Dan, Rupert, Emma, and Tom for their autographs. One kid ran to his room and came back with all seven of the Harry Potter books. Jo and the wizards were more than happy to sign the pieces of paper and the books. Hey, it comes with the job.

Then Emma asked, "Does this TV get the BBC?"

The boy who brought the Harry Potter books said, "Yeah, it can get any station."

Then he switched the channel to the BBC. A male anchor talked about the protests in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Birmingham, and Edinburgh. He then said, "Since some people are speculating that the only reason people feel sympathy for Prince Jackson is because of _what_ he is, the cast of Harry Potter have provided us with tapes to show us _who_ he is."

Then the scene changed to me, Paris, Jabari, and Kenya. We were all wearing tuxedos (hey, girls can rock tuxedos as well as men can). Paris was holding a tenor saxophone, Jabari's hands were resting on a bass fiddle, Kenya was behind a drum set holding two drumsticks, and I was sitting in front of a piano.

I remembered that gig. Emma's mother was invited to a party comprised of lawyers and they needed entertainment. Paris suggested that we could be a jazz quartet. On TV, Paris played the first notes of "Giant Steps" and the rest of us joined the song. We also performed "Lady Bird," "Round Midnight," and "Epistrophy." The lawyers all gave us a great applause and we bowed and gave them glowing smiles.

Then the scene cut back to the anchor who said, "Anyone who can play a piano that well doesn't look like a threat. It seems that Prince and his siblings are just as skilled in music as their father which means they have a bright future in show business. More on this story as it continues to develop."

When commercials came on (or adverts, as the Brits call them), Emma asked, "So, what did you think? Do you think that will help?"

I said, "Yeah, but we should also show tapes that feature Soludo. Soludo also played jazz at Kappa parties. I can call his frat brothers and mine to make sure that's also on the news. If people see the humanity in me and Soludo, then more will press for Officer Byrd's indictment and incarceration."

I figured that there would be people saying I'd be getting off easy because I'm a rich boy, and, sure enough, there was.

One lady said that our family is dysfunctional and turned a blind eye to each other's misdeeds. She pointed out that my grandfather, Joseph Jackson, abused his kids. I said, "Lady, Joseph is a big disciplinarian but he wasn't abusive! He pushed his children to succeed and they did! I wouldn't be the man I am today without Joseph!"

A man questioned whether the allegations made against Dad in the '90s were truly false. He asked if Michael Jackson stayed out of court and jail because of his status and his riches. I was mortified! First of all, Mama would _never_ marry a man she thinks would abuse children! Second, there was _no_ evidence linking my dad to the crime because _no crime was committed!_

Then a picture was shown of me and Soludo wearing "Smooth Criminal" and "Dangerous" outfits. Then a clip of Dad shooting the gun in the "Smooth Criminal" music video/short film was shown. A reporter said that my dad _clearly_ has criminal tendencies. The reporter said, "Like father, like son."

I was so mad that I wanted to throw a brick at the TV. But Jasmine, Gideon, Donnie, Hakim, and the British wizards told me not to let them rile me.

Hakim said, "They'll say anything to discredit you, Soludo, and your families. But we know who you are and who Soludo was. We'll let the world know who you are."

Friends are the family you pick for yourself.


	12. Chapter 12

My family has always been very private. My parents have been obsessed with their privacy for decades and now I've been obsessed with it too. When I went to college, I first introduced myself as Prince. Not Prince Jackson, just Prince. My closest friends were eventually able to figure out who I was along with some my frat brothers. But the vast majority of the student body didn't know my true identity until now. That's the complete opposite of the teaching staff, who _did_ know my identity and constantly made it clear that I wasn't going to get any special treatment because I'm a Jackson. There are times to stand out and a time to blend in.

I stayed at Parkland Memorial Hospital for nine days. The doctors did check-ups on me to make sure I didn't have pneumonia nor nerve damage. I also did some physical therapy, if you count walking around and lifting weights physical therapy. Dad has never liked weight lifting because he wants to keep his body slim. He's a dancer and having a slim body is a priority to him. Mama lifts weights in order to make herself stronger but she definitely doesn't lift weights as much Uncle Gabriel or Mr. T.

One of my parents or one of my siblings would usually stay with me at the hospital. Whenever I woke up in the middle of the night or early in the morning, there they were. Then Dan, Rupert, and Tom decided they wanted the responsibility. They claimed they wanted to give my parents and siblings a break but I knew they just wanted to be near me to ensure I was still breathing.

Now, my scars were more mental than physical. I kept having dreams of Officer Byrd shooting me. But in my dreams, blood keeps pouring out of my body and no one comes to my rescue. I also had dreams of being hung from trees by a Klansman. But before the Klansman snaps the rope into place, he takes off his mask. Officer Byrd is the Klansman. He said, "You uppity niggers need to be taught a lesson."

I'd always wake up with a start, covered in sweat. Dad, Ma, Tremaine, Paris, Dan, Rupert, and Tom would always ask if I was okay. I'd lie and say I was okay but I'm sure they could see right through it.

Dallas suffered from riots and uprisings every time the sun went down. So the Army and National Guard were called in to quell the riots and keep the peace. Just what Dallas needed, more idiots with guns in the ghetto. The news showed that protestors would meet up at the Taco Bell where Soludo and I were shot. They had signs that said, **JUSTICE FOR ALL** , **AM I NEXT?** , and **POLICE THE POLICE**.

Then they'd march and chant, "What do we want?"

"Justice for Soludo and Prince!"

"When do we want it?"

Now!"

These same words were being chanted in LA, DC, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, London, and even Toronto.

Mama said, "A movement is stronger than one person. Mr. Small says that all the time."

Mr. Small was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement and a friend of Dr. King's. He and his son, Jordan Small, are still fighting for justice in Atlanta.

When I was told I could leave, Mr. and Dr. Nduka brought me a change of clothes. I'd been staying at the Ndukas' house in Highland Park. I changed into a green polo shirt, black khakis, and a pair of Air Jordan Seven Retro sneakers. I'd packed three pairs of Air Jordans and two pairs of loafers but my other pair was chewed to bits by a Doberman.

I was happy to finally check out and rejoin the world but DA Watkins also showed up at the hospital.

He said, "First of all, Prince, congratulations on your recovery."

I said, "Thanks, DA Watkins."

He said, "Second, the news networks have been informed not to swarm the hospital. But I have a feeling some may still figure out that you're being released today."

I explained, "I've dealt with the paparazzi for years. I'm a Jackson, after all."

DA Watkins said, "Yes, but the paparazzi were always after your parents. Now they have another Jackson they can target."

I explained, "DA Watkins, I can handle it."

DA Watkins said, "Third, we'll need to drive you to the police station."

I said, "I know, the cops want to interrogate me in order to get the full story. I'm no longer a minor so my parents can't accompany me into the interrogation room."

DA Watkins said, "But you're still allowed to have a lawyer with you. That's where I come in."

I asked, "Do you know about any tricks the cops might use?"

DA Watkins said, "They might try to discredit you and Soludo by asking personal questions about your lives. You don't need to answer those since they're not relevant to the case."

I said, "The fact that the Jacksons and Ndukas are members of the Black bourgeoisie _is_ relevant."

DA Watkins said, "That's what sets you apart from so many others victims of police brutality. Your parents have a combined net worth of a billion dollars, you live on a huge estate in the Santa Ynez Valley, you've just completed your undergraduate studies, and you're going to an Ivy League school in September. Soludo's parents' net worth is over a million dollars, they live in one of Dallas' most expensive neighborhoods, and he was headed to medical school in September."

I said, "Even among police brutality victims, I'm an outsider. Let's just get down to the precinct and get it over with."

The kids all waved goodbye to me from their windows. My parents, siblings, and friends helped escort me into a limo. I'm pretty sure Rodney King didn't ride in a limo after he was released from the hospital. About a dozen minutes later, we arrived at the police station.

DA Watkins stated, "This is the Dallas PD's HQ, the Jack Evans Headquarters. It was completed in March 2003."

The building was huge. It looked like two buildings joined together.

I asked DA Watkins, "I know Officer Byrd is still suspended but is he still somewhere close by?"

DA Watkins said, "According to his son, he's staying with his brother."

I asked, "Has his son been on the news?"

DA Watkins said, "Not yet. He came to the Dallas NAACP and said that he and his mom would testify against Officer Byrd in order to ensure you and Soludo get justice."

I asked, "Why would they want to do that?"

DA Watkins explained, "According to Ethan Byrd and Nancy Byrd, Officer Byrd is a very strong racist. Ethan Byrd has never gotten along with his father because of his bigoted views of the world and Mrs. Byrd put up with him because she didn't want to brave the world as a single mom. But she finally found the courage to kick him out and take a stand against him."

I said, "Reminds me of Uncle Matthew's relationship with his parents."

Dad said, "Remember, Prince, remain calm. Some of these cops may want justice for Soludo as well, remember that."

Mama rolled her eyes at Dad and then said, "Don't leave out a single detail about that night. Make sure the cops know you and Soludo weren't causing any trouble for Taco Bell."

Emma said, "My parents have always said, 'Don't let anyone put words in your mouth.' Prince, you have your own mind and voice and I know you can use it to the best of your ability."

Tom said, "Above all, Prince, stay cool."

Then DA Watkins and I went inside. DA Watkins told a man at the front desk, "I'm Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins and this is Prince Jackson. My client wants to tell the police department about what happened on the night of May nineteenth."

The cop grunted and led us to the interrogation room. Some of the cops had blank faces while others tried to avoid eye contact. Like I said before, even among police brutality victims, I stand out. What were the chances that a member of the Dallas PD would shoot a member of the First Family of Soul? What were the chances a Texas law enforcement official would try to kill the first child Michael Jackson and Karen Lincoln had together? Some Blacks and Latinos are scared to death of cops and can't breathe properly when around them. The only people I'm afraid of are God and Mama. The fact that these cops now know what I am is the only insurance I have that they won't try to shoot and kill me in the HQ.

Soon we were led into an interrogation room. DA Watkins and I sat in two chairs at a table and then two cops came in. One was White and the other Black.

The White cop said, "Hello, DA Watkins and Mr. Jackson. I'm Detective Cunningham. This is my associate, Detective Lucas."

The cops sat down and Detective Cunningham asked, "Is Mr. Jackson aware that he has the right to remain silent?"

I whispered into DA Watkins' ear and he told the detectives, "He is."

Detective Cunningham asked, "Is Mr. Jackson aware that even though he's not a suspect, he's still a witness? Is he aware that anything he says today may be used in a court of law?"

I whispered into DA Watkins' ear again and DA Watkins told the detectives, "He is."

Detective Cunningham asked me, "What happened on the night of May nineteenth, Mr. Jackson?"

I'm sure the cops had seen the security tape; in fact, I'm sure most people who have access to TV have seen it. But there were other aspects of the story that the security camera didn't capture.

I told the detectives, "Soludo Nduka and I went to Taco Bell on Lemmon Avenue. We ordered burritos, cheesy fries, and Caffeine-Free Diet Coke. When we stepped outside, it was dark. We went to Soludo's Pontiac Bonneville, got in, and then he turned the key in the ignition. But the car wouldn't start. It made whirring sounds and we figured out it needed repairs. Soludo went to the trunk to get out his toolbox and I went to the front of the car to analyze the problem. Soludo took out his toolbox from the trunk and then he took out a wrench from the trunk. He asked me if I needed it to get the job done and I checked the inner-mechanics of the car. I told him that I'd definitely need it. Then I heard footsteps coming towards us. My ears told me the noise was coming from behind Soludo. I could that hear that the person must be running. There weren't any other cars in the parking lot so the person wasn't running towards their own car. I thought they may be attempting to jump Soludo. I looked at who was coming in our direction and it was a cop with a gun, Officer Henry Byrd."

I waited for Detective Lucas to write that down. There was also a tape recorder but I'm sure the cops were also writing down how I looked, the tone of my voice, and my facial language. I didn't look angry or sad nor did I sound like it. I kept my face blank and my voice neutral. Ninja techniques.

Then I told the detectives, "Then I yelled at Soludo, 'Soludo, drop the wrench and get down!' Officer Byrd fired three shots at Soludo and Soludo fell. I dropped down to the ground, with my hands over my head. But Officer Byrd shot me three times, in my left lung and left leg. Then a Black nurse named LaTanya Reed ran over. Mrs. Reed told Officer Byrd, 'You heartless murderer! There was no need to kill these young men!' Then Officer Byrd said, 'One of them had a gun that his accomplice claims was a wrench. That mean the other thug must have one too. They may also have drugs and other contraband in the car.' Mrs. Reed looked at Soludo's wrench and said, 'It looks like this young man _was_ holding on to a wrench!' Mrs. Reed checked Soludo's pulse and confirmed that he was dead. Then she checked my pulse and confirmed I was still alive. She sat me up, introduced herself, and told me that she had called nine-one-one. I told her there was a first-aid kit in Soludo's Pontiac. She found the kit and kept me stable until the ambulances and the cops arrived. Officer Byrd showed his badge and claimed that he was doing his job. I've never thought killing people is any kind of job."

I have an eidetic/photographic memory, like my mother, so it's impossible for me to forget something. Detective Lucas kept writing and Detective Cunningham asked, "What were you and Mr. Nduka doing that day?"

I stated, "We gave lectures about career options at James Madison High School. A few days ago, we had lectured to students at Lincoln High. Soludo and I had just finished our undergraduate studies and we wanted to help expand the world for inner-city youth."

Then Detective Cunningham asked, "Did you and Mr. Nduka have any contact with gang members?"

I said, "No."

Detective Cunningham asked, "None at all?"

DA Watkins asked, "What does this have to do with the investigation?"

Detective Lucas said, "Officer Byrd claims that the robberies of some restaurants near Taco Bell were caused by two Black men who were gang members. He believes Mr. Nduka and Mr. Jackson fit the description."

I asked, "Why, because we're Black?"

Officer Cunningham said, "If Officer Byrd had seen you anywhere near South Dallas' gangs, that may have led to him thinking that you and Mr. Nduka were gang-affiliated."

I said, "We have big plans for the future and we're not going to throw them away by robbing people. Our parents make more money than most people will see in five lifetimes so there's no need for us to turn to crime."

Detective Cunningham frowned when I said that and my instincts told me this White man didn't like seeing Blacks in the upper-class. He probably doesn't like Blacks who have trust funds that are higher than his annual salary.

Detective Cunningham then asked, "Did Mr. Nduka say anything threatening or make any dangerous moves before Officer Byrd shot him?"

I said, "No. Soludo looked confused when I yelled out the warning and when I dropped to the ground. He didn't fully understand what was going on. He didn't see Officer Byrd because Officer Byrd attacked him from behind. Officer Byrd shot Soludo in the back."

Detective Cunningham asked, "Did you make any threatening moves or say anything threatening to Officer Byrd?"

I couldn't believe I was being asked that question. I said, "No, I never threatened Officer Byrd."

DA Watkins asked, "Has Officer Byrd testified that my client or his friend threatened him?"

Officer Cunningham said, "That's classified."

I'm guessing Officer Byrd lied about that night in order to save his own skin. Typical.

DA Watkins asked, "Do you care more about Officer Byrd or Soludo Nduka?"

Detective Lucas frowned at DA Watkins and Detective Cunningham said, "I'm not sure what you mean, DA Watkins."

DA Watkins explained, "You keep asking my client if he and Soludo did anything wrong. But he and Soludo just went to Taco Bell to gain nourishment and then they were planning on heading home. They weren't causing any kind of trouble."

Detective Cunningham said, "Our officers risk their lives everyday. They want to get home to their families as well. Mr. Jackson's testimony will be taken into account and might help move this investigation forward. Thank you for your time."

DA Watkins and I looked at each other. Our faces said what our mouths couldn't. _This is some bullshit!_


	13. Chapter 13

After the interrogation, the chauffeur drove us to Highland Park. Highland Park is actually an affluent town, not a neighborhood. It's the most expensive neighborhood in Dallas and one of the most expensive in Texas. The demographics are 90% White, similar to the nationwide affluence demographic. Highland Park has creeks, parks, and the Dallas Country Club. The Ndukas have been members of the Dallas Country Club since they moved here.

The Ndukas live at 3917 Miramar Avenue. The house has five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. Soludo has one brother named Tobenna so the remaining two bedrooms are the servant's quarters and the guest room.

Well, Tobenna, or Ben as some people call him, was at the house. He must have finally finished studying for his MBA at Duke. He gave me a bear-crushing hug and I said, "Ben, my lungs are still healing!"

He let me go and said, "I'm just glad that pig didn't kill you too. I would have been here sooner but I had to finish my exams. I'm certain I aced them all."

I said, "Congrats, Ben. When's your graduation ceremony?"

Ben said, "End of June. I'll be able to fly home for the grand jury hearing. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Emma explained, "You are aware that only Prince, Mrs. Reed, Mr. Gonzalez, and other witnesses will be allowed in to testify to the grand jury. They were the ones who were actually there and they're the ones who will be able to paint a clear picture to the grand jury."

Tom said, "Plus, Taco Bell has a hidden video camera. Mr. Gonzalez says that should paint a clear picture that Officer Byrd was in the wrong and that you and Soludo weren't threats."

Then Jabari pointed at the TV, which was on CNN. A reporter was talking to Rodney King amidst a group of protestors.

The reporter asked, "Mr. King, do you believe history is repeating itself?"

Rodney King said, "Of course it is. The list of Blacks dead as a result of police brutality and other racist attacks was already high when those four cops beat me almost to death back in the nineties. Now we're eight years into the twenty-first century and the number of Blacks killed by cops has only gotten bigger. Amadou Diallo, Roger Owensby Jr, Timothy DeWayne Thomas Jr, Sean Elijah Bell, DeAunta T. Farrow, Tarika Wilson. I've asked this before and I'll ask it again: Can we all just get along?"

The reporter asked, "Do you believe we can all get along?"

Rodney King said, "Yes, if we do what Marvin Gaye said. If we find a way to bring some more lovin' here today. From what people have said about Prince Jackson and Soludo Nduka, they did nothing but spread love wherever they went. Since when is love a bad thing?"

The reporter asked, "What do you think about calls to 'defund' the police?"

Rodney King said, "I think it's a great idea. Taking money away from the LAPD, the Dallas PD, and every other PD in the USA and givin' it back to folks in the ghetto is an important step. If we want to lower the crime rate, we need to fix the schools, churches, and community services. We need to give more jobs to the Blacks of America so that we won't have to turn to crime to feed, clothe, and house our kids."

The reporter said, "Thank you, Mr. King."

Later, a Black female cop came to the Ndukas' house. My siblings and the Brits refused to say a word to her or shake her hand.

Mr. Nduka explained, "This lady is Captain Richmond. She and her husband live here in Highland Park."

I asked Captain Richmond, "Do you feel any sympathy for Soludo? Do you believe his death is justified?"

Captain Richmond said, "Of course Soludo's death isn't justified! I've been telling the Chief that we should have fired Officer Byrd years ago but the Chief wouldn't hear of it. He says that we can't give members of the upper-class 'special treatment.' Upper-class Caucasian-Americans get plenty of 'special treatment' but what about upper-class African-Americans? Anyway, I told Officer Byrd that he had no right to kill Soludo. I told him I knew that boy and watched him grow into a man. There's no way a future neurosurgeon would ever rob Taco Bell. I also told him that Prince is also a fine young man set on becoming a veterinarian. There's no way a Jackson would rob a Taco Bell when his whole family is worth over a billion dollars."

Paris asked, "You seriously said all that?"

Captain Richmond explained, "I screamed it to the whole department because I knocked Officer Byrd out."

Emma asked, "Say what now?"

Captain Richmond said, "I decked Officer Byrd and I've been suspended for two weeks, even though I outrank him. Unfortunately, the Chief is the boss over all of us and he thought _I_ was in the wrong! But it sure felt nice to punch that son-of-a-bitch."

Prince said, "I'm flattered that you see how wrong Officer Byrd was but I don't want you risking your job for me or Soludo."

Dr. Nduka said, "We need cops like you to show the world how cops should really do their jobs. You've done a fantastic job as a detective and captain and you're one of the few cops that has gangsters shaking in their boots."

Captain Richmond gave a laugh that didn't really sound like a laugh. She said, "Yeah, I'm one of the good ones. The whole world thinks the vast majority of cops are as crooked as the criminals we arrest so now the 'nice cop' has become an anomaly."

I told Captain Richmond, "Captain Richmond, I know that not all cops are bad. My parents taught me and my siblings to be cautious around cops, not fearful. My parents have experienced racism before and after they found success so my siblings and I know what a dark place the world can be. But our parents always reminded us to light up the darkness."

Soludo's funeral was planned for Saturday. Dr. Nduka's mother flew in from New York, Mr. Nduka's brother flew in from DC, and Dr. Nduka's cousin had flown in from London with the Brits. Lawrence Hill, an African-Canadian writer from Canada, also flew to Dallas. He's a friend of the Canadian Freemans and he's befriended my parents over the years. In Canada, protestors have been holding up signs with the names and pictures of people named Andrew "Buddy" Evans, Albert Johnson, Lester Donaldson, Michael Wade Lawson, Sophia Cook, Marlon Neal, Jonathon Howell, Raymond Lawrence, Ian Coley, Albert Moses, Tommy Anthony Barnett, et cetera. Recognize those names? Those are all the names of African-Canadians who have been killed by Canadian cops. The Great White North has plenty of racism despite it being more progressive than the USA. Don't get me wrong, I love Canada. But I know racism is a global disease that is yet to be cured.

Nelson Mandela flew in from South Africa. He's still fighting for Black freedom and equality worldwide and he's a good friend of the family. I'd figure he'd come as soon as he helped protest in South Africa. Steve Biko and Hector Pieterson are among the many Black South Africans who have been killed by cops. Even though apartheid is now against the law and South Africa is now a democratic country who elected Nelson Mandela as President back in 1994, that doesn't mean racism has been purged from the nation.

Bryan Stevenson, the founder and director of the Equal Justice Initiative, also flew to Dallas. Uncle Jeremiah Victory and Auntie Artemis Victory, Mama's relatives, also flew in from Montgomery to attend Soludo's funeral. Uncle Jeremiah is a lawyer who also works for EJI and Auntie Artemis is a veterinarian. Auntie Artemis is one of Uncle Maximus Freeman's twins, the other twin being Uncle Apollo. Mr. Stevenson and his organization are dedicated to defending the poor, the wrongly condemned, and those trapped in the furthest reaches of our criminal justice system.

Mr. Stevenson said, "EJI is dedicated to helping out any way we can. Does Prince already have legal representation?"

DA Watkins said, "That would be me." He stuck out his right hand and said, "Dallas County District Attorney Charles Watkins. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stevenson. I am a huge admirer of all the work you've done for the marginalized members of our country."

Mr. Stevenson shook DA Watkins' hand and said, "It's a pleasure to meet Texas' first Black DA."

Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton also flew in. I wondered if either of them would give a speech; they've given plenty of eulogies and speeches at other funerals. Last year, Reverend Sharpton gave the eulogy at DeAunta T. Farrow's funeral in West Memphis, Arkansas. I was also at the funeral, along with 1500 other mourners. Soludo, Gideon, Duke, and Saint had also attended the funeral. We gave the Farrows our condolences but only time will tell if DeAunta will receive justice.

Soludo's funeral was held at the Igbo Anglican Church in Richardson, a principal city in Dallas County that's about fifteen minutes away from Highland Park. Some protestors stood outside the church with black T-shirts that said **JUSTICE FOR SAP** and **REST IN POWER SOLUDO . SAP** is short for "Soludo And Prince." RIP usually means "rest in peace" but the new meaning for the acronym originated back on February 18, 2000. Oakland graffiti artist Mike "Dream" Francisco, had been shot and killed during an armed robbery. Dream's graffiti art was political in tone, and his pieces often critiqued the United States government's treatment of poor and marginalized people. The post to `alt.graffiti`, by a contributor identified only as "SPANK," ended with the words "REST IN POWER PLAYA." As the twenty-first century moved forward, "rest in power" began to appear in print when a young person was killed prematurely and violently. When young folks are killed in South Central, there are T-shirts and paintings about them that usually say "Rest In Power." Rest in power is also used to mourn, remember, and celebrate the lives of people who suffered from bigotry, which includes Black American victims of police brutality.

The boys at Soludo's alma mater, St. Mark's School of Texas, designed the T-shirts. St. Mark's is a private school and is considered to be one of the best schools in the entire of state of Texas. Unfortunately, St. Mark's students aren't allowed to talk about Soludo's death on school property because the headmaster said "we don't want to compromise students' and teachers' trust in American law enforcement." Those were his exact words, I kid you not. Tremaine told the headmaster to fuck himself. Mama and Dad didn't even tell him not to use foul language. They clearly agreed with Tremaine.

Speaking of St. Mark's, I could see two of Soludo's former classmates sitting in one of the pews.

I said, "Hi, Dexter, hi, Booker." Dexter Davis and Booker Bishop are two Black kids from South Dallas. They stared going to St. Mark's when they started seventh grade. St. Mark's offers financial aid to families who can't afford to pay full tuition in an attempt to attract boys from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Most private schools, like most affluent neighborhoods, are predominantly White. It's a good thing that St. Mark's is attempting to right that wrong.

Dexter is taller than Booker and wears his hair in dreadlocks. Booker is shorter than Dexter, wears glasses, and sports a Caesar cut. Dexter wants to be an engineer and Booker wants to be a lawyer, just like Hakim.

I asked Dexter, "How's Georgia Tech? You going back there for your master's ?"

Dexter replied, "Yep. I love Atlanta. That Black mecca is a place where a Black man can really achieve success."

I asked Booker, "Have you decided what law school you're going to? Are you gonna stay at USC?"

Booker said, "The Philosophy, Politics, and Law program was great and USC has a great law school. But there are other law schools that have higher rankings. I've been accepted to Stanford Law School and I'll be going there in September."

I said, "Fantastic, Booker! I know you'll know great at Stanford."

The church was full of Soludo's friends, relatives, and classmates. My family and friends were also there. I'm sure the Nigerian-Americans were surprised to see so many celebrities in their church, even though the news had revealed I'm a Jackson.

A surprise face was that of Rick Riordan, the author of the Percy Jackson series. I had met him a few times when I visited Texas since he lives in San Antonio.

Rick hugged me and said, "I'm sorry for all the hurt and trauma this has caused. My family is behind you, one hundred percent. Percy would most likely say that I can't turn my back on a Jackson or an honorary student of Hogwarts."

I laughed and then introduced Rick to Jo and the wizards from Hogwarts. Harry Potter and Percy Jackson have so much in common that the Internet is overflowing with fanfiction crossover stories about them.

Then I saw that Tom kept glaring at somebody and I tried to see who was turning Tom into a raging bull. Then I saw him. Kyle Jacobs. Kyle is a former friend of Soludo's and one of my classmates in undergrad school. Kyle has always hated me because my intelligence ruined his chances of being the top pre-vet student. Kyle Jacobs is my Draco Malfoy so Tom has a better understanding of how Kyle's mind works than anyone else in my life. But I always ignore Kyle because there are countless others like him and they're not worth my time.

The ceremony involved words from Dexter and Booker; Donnie and Hakim; Mr. Nduka who delivered the eulogy; and Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.

The Reverends both took the stand and took turns talking. Jesse Jackson said, "It's the same story but with different faces. It's impossible for us to be unarmed because our Blackness is already considered a dangerous weapon."

Al Sharpton said, "This was a lynching, regardless of the fact that a law enforcement official took away Soludo Nduka's life. He treated Soludo Nduka and Prince Jackson as criminals, not human beings with hopes and dreams."

Jesse Jackson said, "We will march peacefully so that the world knows about this terrible act of injustice. We will march so that the world knows that Officer Byrd may have killed Soludo's body but not his spirit or memory."

Al Sharpton said, "The courts have a long history of disregarding acts of violence against Black people. In April, Justice Arthur J. Cooperman acquitted the three cops who killed Sean Elijah Bell on November twenty-fifth, 2006. Patrolman Steve Roach was acquitted for murdering Timothy DeWayne Thomas. The four NYPD officers who murdered Amadou Diallo were also acquitted."

Jesse Jackson said, "Despite the credible testimony of Prince Jackson and other witnesses and the videotape of the racist attack, the Dallas PD still sees no reason to arrest Officer Henry Byrd."

People exclaimed, "What?", "Are you serious?", "That's a load of rubbish!", et cetera.

Al Sharpton said, "According to Officer Byrd's son, Ethan Byrd, his father has some powerful connections of his own. Officer Byrd's brother is a lawyer who is friends with the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, and I'm sure AG Abbott will help with Officer Byrd's defense and maybe become chief defender. The Chief of the Dallas PD believes this whole movement is shedding a bad light on the rest of his officers and that this just shifts attention away from Black-on-Black crime."

Jesse Jackson asked, "But how are we supposed to treat each other with respect when we've been told since colonial days that _we're not respectable?_ We only counted as three-fifths of a person when the Constitution was written and we're still treated like that."

Al Sharpton said, "We can't stay silent about injustice. When we all speak, then they'll listen. They'll listen because they don't have a choice."

DA Watkins walked up to the stand and said, "Thank you, Reverends Jackson and Sharpton. Your leadership has and continues to inspire the African-American community. My office, the NAACP, the Nation of Islam, the Equal Justice Initiative, and others are leading a march to the Dallas PD's HQ to show them that we mean business. This protest is peaceful which means _no weapons._ No guns, no knives, no pens or nail files that can be mistaken for weapons."

People cleared out of the church, to either go home or to the march. Some of the protestors were holding wrenches, though they weren't all the same model wrench that Soludo was holding before he died.

Then another familiar face came up to us: Dr. Lansing. She came up to me and the Ndukas. I said in surprise, "Dr. Lansing! I'm surprised you flew all the way down here!"

Dr. Lansing smiled and said, "Well, Soludo was one of my best students. The faculty decided that a professor should come down here to pay the university's respects to Soludo. I also wanted to give the Ndukas this."

I saw that she was carrying a paper bag along with her purse. She put her hand inside and took out something in a frame. She showed it to us and we saw that it was Soludo's degree. It stated:

_The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, on the nomination of the faculty as conferred upon_

_Soludo Nduka_

_The Degree of_

_Bachelor of Science_ _in_ _Neurobiology_

_Minor in Psychology_

_Together with all honors, rights, and privileges belonging to that degree. In witness whereof, this diploma is granted._

_Given at Madison, in the state of Wisconsin, in the year two thousand and eight and of the University_

The university President, Chancellor, and the Board of Regents' President had signed it at the bottom.

Mr. Nduka said, "Thank you, Dr. Lansing."

Dr. Nduka said, "Soludo told us that you were one of his favorite teachers. Thank you for nurturing his talent and genius."

Dr. Lansing said, "I was just doing my job. A teacher's greatest pleasure is seeing their students become successful in their respective fields. I'm sure going to miss Soludo."

On the news protestors around the world held up wrenches and chanted, "A wrench is not a gun!" In London, the protestors all dropped to the ground and put their hands on their heads. They were imitating the position I'd made when Officer Byrd shot me. Alfred Enoch, whom we all call Alfie, was leading this protest. Alfie plays Dean Thomas, Harry Potter's fellow Gryffindor classmate, in the Harry Potter movies. Dean Thomas is among the few Black characters in the Harry Potter series. Of course, plenty of Blacks and other racial groups have argued that they feel underrepresented in the realm of fantasy. Even though Black and Asian students attend Hogwarts, fans argue that Jo hasn't made a real effort to promote diversity in the wizarding world. The Golden Trio, Dumbledore, Snape, and several other main characters are White, while non-Whites play supporting roles.

Alfie said through his megaphone, "Drop the wrench!"

Then the protestors all replied, "Get down!"

Alfie repeated, "Drop the wrench!"

The protestors repeated, "Get down!"

There were plenty of Met officers in riot gear on foot and horseback who looked like they were ready for a fight. But Alfie and the protestors were trying to show that they weren't a threat, just like how Soludo and I weren't threats. The London protestors had signs with pictures of Dorothy "Cherry" Groce and Stephen Lawrence. Cherry Groce was paralyzed by a cop in 1985 and that triggered the 1985 Brixton Riots. Stephen Lawrence was a Black British teenager from London who was murdered by a group of five or six White guys when they stabbed him in the chest and the arms. Stephen Lawrence has been dead for fifteen years but his killers are still walking around scot-free. If that doesn't paint a clear picture of how much Black lives are valued across the world, I don't know what does.


	14. Chapter 14

Booker and Dexter insisted that I come to South Dallas to talk some sense into the boys and girls who were thinking about not returning to high school in September. They also wanted me to help spur on the protesters.

I told them, "Let me go back to Highland Park so I can change into hood-worthy clothes." "Hood-worthy clothes" are t-shirts, jeans, and Air Jordans.

After we all changed, Ben drove me, Paris, and the twins to Booker's house at 3606 Dunbar Street in his Benz. Gideon, Jasmine, Donnie, Hakim, Dan, Rupert, Emma, and Tom followed us in a limo. The Ndukas' garage can hold four cars. Mr. Nduka drives a Rolls-Royce, a newer model than the 80s model my Ma still drives, and Dr. Nduka drives a Lexus. But the garage only shelters three cars now; Soludo's Pontiac is gone. The Dallas PD are keeping it as evidence but I'm sure the Ndukas don't want the car back since their youngest son and brother will never be able to ride it again.

I though about asking Captain Richmond to come and try to come up with better ways for the Dallas PD to do their job. The Richmonds live at 4436 Fairfax Avenue, which is only a short drive from the Ndukas' home. But I realized that bringing a cop to South Dallas wouldn't be a good idea right now since support for the Dallas PD is now at an all-time low in the hood.

The drive from 3917 Miramar Avenue to 3606 Dunbar Street only took about fifteen minutes. Hard to believe that two different worlds aren't that far apart. When we walked in, we saw a lot of teens sitting and standing in the living room. I counted ten teens.

Booker said, "Dexter is rounding up some more kids. He'll be here soon and then we can start."

I asked, "Where does Dexter live?"

Booker said, "Right next door, 3602 Dunbar Street."

Dan asked, "Have you two been friends since you were knee-high to grasshoppers?"

Booker laughed and said, "Yeah, pretty much."

Rupert asked, "Who else lives here with you?"

Booker said, "My ma, my dad, and my little brother, Freddie."

Emma asked, "Does he go to St. Mark's as well?"

Booker said, "Yeah. He just finished his senior year and is going to Howard in the fall."

Emma said, "Cool!"

Then Dexter showed up with six other kids. The number of teens was now sixteen, ten Blacks and six Latinos. Sixteen is also an age when _a lot_ of kids make the choices that can make or break them. Some make the right choices and end up doing good things in their lives. Other teens make bad choices and end up in a jail cell or a casket. I want to do what I can to make sure the kids of South Dallas don't end up in caskets or on death row, even if the world itself has turned their back on them.

Some of the teens immediately started asking the Brits for their autographs. Pages were ripped out of notebooks and the wizards started signing sheets of paper for the kids gathered there.

Emma then motioned at me to stand up and talk to the kids. This is similar to _Order of the Phoenix_ , when Hermione convinces Harry to form the DA and give a speech to the new recruits. But some of the Hogwarts students thought Harry was crazy and not to be trusted, thanks to the Ministry and the _Daily Prophet_. Most of the teens also had distrust in their eyes. Even though Soludo and I were victims of police brutality, we still came from a different world. These teens hate me for the same reasons most kids in South LA hate me. I'm a rich Black guy who enjoys privileges that they've been denied. I've just finished my undergrad studies and am set to go to an Ivy League school in the fall. Most of these kids will be extremely lucky if they finish high school. Their chances of getting into _any_ undergrad program is extremely low.

I said, "I'm glad you're all here. You all know who I am and what happened to me and Soludo. Booker and Dexter say some of you are thinking about leaving school. Some of you are upset and frustrated that people don't take your concerns seriously. I can honestly say that the world doesn't care about you but I do. I differ from other victims of police brutality but I'm also the same. I'll accept any questions at this time."

A guy sporting an Afro raised his hand and I said, "Yes, Mister...?"

"Calvin," said the Afro guy. "Can you use any of your special connections to get rid of the cops at James Madison High?"

I said, "I also dislike seeing cops in schools. I think they're unnecessary."

Calvin said, "Hell yeah, they're unnecessary. I swear, they send us to jail over the smallest provocation. How we supposed to learn if our school is nothing more than another jail?"

Then a girl wearing braid and beads said, "Madison High and Lincoln High have lots of cops patrolling the hallways but _no guidance counselors!_ "

Emma said, "Say what now?"

Rupert exclaimed, "That's total BS!"

I asked the girl, "What's your name?"

She replied, "Nia. I believe the police are being over-prioritized. Cops can't help students the way guidance counselors can."

I told Nia, "I agree wholeheartedly. Cops are taking over the roles better suited for other people. Kids face problems in all shapes and forms. Sometimes they make mistakes but that doesn't mean the cops need to be called _all the damn time!_ If we showed more love to the hood, the most amazing transformation would take place."

Hakim said, "There's a connection between high school dropout rates and the crime rate. If schools don't teach kids what they need to succeed, they'll look for other options to support themselves and their families. The streets draw them in, gangs recruit them. Are some of you seriously thinking of gangbanging and drug dealing?"

A few kids nodded their heads or replied in the affirmative. I asked them, "Where do drugs come from?"

A Latino guy with tattoos on his arms said, "South America?"

I said, "That's right. Foreign countries. Most Blacks and Latinos don't own planes or ships. Therefore, we're not the ones bringing that poison into the American hoods."

Paris said, "As long as drugs stay here in South Dallas and other hoods, then the drug epidemic isn't seen as a problem. But when drugs make their way to Highland Park, University Park, and other affluent neighborhoods, _that's_ when drugs are seen as a problem."

A Black girl with bangs said, "The War on Drugs is nothing more than a war against Blacks and the poor."

I asked, "You are...?"

Dexter said, "That's my little sister, LaWanda. She graduates from the Hockaday School in June. She's going to Northwestern in the fall."

Nia said, "Mmm-hmm. Another sister who thinks she's too good for the hood."

LaWanda said, "Now, hold on, Nia. I thought we put this sellout and Oreo nonsense behind us-?"

Nia said, "I know you, your brother, and his friends are ashamed of South Dallas. You never invite those rich friends of yours from the Hockaday School to come slumming in the hood. You never invite me or the other girls to those bougie neighborhoods your friends live in. That's because you, Dexter, Booker, and Freddie are ashamed of the hood and everyone and everything in it. Y'all go to those bougie schools in order to get ahead. Y'all will go to college, get PhDs from the Ivy League, move permanently into the bougie neighborhoods, and never think twice about South Dallas. That's how the Black bourgeoisie works, they get ahead and leave the rest of us behind."

Paris said, "Hold on-"

I exclaimed, "Paris, she has a point. An important issue that needs to be addressed is how the Black bourgeoisie treats the rest of the Black community. How come the Blacks and Latinos of Highland Park don't donate money to Madison High and Lincoln High so that the students will have the same opportunities that Soludo, Ben, Dexter, Booker, LaWanda, and Freddie have? Why don't the Blacks and Latinos who are among the C-suites of _Fortune_ 500 companies use their money and power to fix up the hoods? Why do we turn our backs on our own people? Do we seriously think they can lift themselves by their own bootstraps?"

Calvin said, "In order to do that, we need to afford boots."

Nia said, "Speak, my brother."

I said, "My siblings and I may be part of the Black bourgeoisie, but we're still nothing more than niggers to many cops, store-owners, CEOs, professors, et cetera. They're offended by our nice clothes, our polite manners, and our parents' net worth. _That_ is White America's true culture. They want us to remain at the rungs of society. They don't want us to learn, grow, or change. They only want us around when they want something from us, such as housekeeping skills or entertainment. My siblings and I often suffer this slight alone because we're not accepted by our own people. Why? Because we're nowhere near similar to the vast majority of them. If we're not White enough or Black enough, what the Hell are we?"

That shut up all the teens for a while. Then Booker said, "I always thought rich folks didn't have anything to worry about. I thought that as soon as I became a lawyer, I'd live the good life _and_ be able to give back to my community. But you're saying that the vast majority of South Dallas will hate me because I've achieved something that they and their kids and grandkids never will. Corporate America will still treat me like I'm worthless 'cause of my skin color. How come Dexter, LaWanda, Freddie, and I are given more opportunities while others are left with nothing? Could we have done more to help those kids who were in our age group but were denied special attention by the world itself?"

I said, "All very good questions. Change begins when we decide. I've decided not to turn my backs on this hood. I'll welcome any suggestions people have and I'll see if my family and friends can fulfill them."

Nia asked, "Can your parents' Heal the World Foundation bring some much needed funding to the schools in our hood?"

I said, "We can definitely try. If we come up short, there are other foundations my family can contact."

Calvin asked, "Can you convince the school board to get rid of the cops in our schools?"

I said, "That will take a lot more work but we'll see if we can contact them."

The teens gave suggestions and I gave the best answers I could come up with. Soon teens were asking if I could better legal help for their friends and relatives trapped in our messed- up prison system. I called Mr. Stevenson and asked if EJI could do some work with the folks in South Dallas. The teens asked if I could convince Michael Jordan to donate Air Jordans to the second-hand clothing stores and church clothing drives. I said that Michael Jordan would be _totally_ ecstatic at that idea. Some teens asked if I could get my parents, J.K. Rowling, and other celebrities to speak at their schools. I saw no reason why not.

Booker suggested, "Maybe we can get the Ndukas to come to the hood."

Dexter said, "But they've never set foot in our hood before. Why would they wanna come now?"

Booker said, "Because the Black bourgeoisie separating themselves from hood rats has caused a huge rift between the social classes. Plenty of folks in the hood thought Soludo was a snob because he never visited us here. But we never wanted him here because we knew our hood wasn't safe. We thought that as soon as he heard gunshots, he'd hightail it outta here. I used to think St. Marks and South Dallas were two different worlds and we had to keep them separate. Boy, that was stupid."

I said, "Yeah, very stupid. I have friends who come from a variety of backgrounds but learning about other people's cultures and backgrounds will enrich your knowledge. Soludo's knowledge about the lives of the have-nots of society would have been higher if y'all educated him when you were kids."

Maybe Soludo would have had better knowledge about always honing your instincts against your enemies. Black people have a lot of enemies.


	15. Chapter 15

When there were protests again that night, I decided to march. I had to make sure the protests didn't turn violent and that the world would see that I couldn't be silenced. Of course, Mama, Dad, Paris, the twins, Gideon, Jasmine, and the rest of my friends decided to march with me.

A lot of college students from Paul Quinn College, Texas Southern University, Prairie View A&M, and colleges also participated.

A Black man wearing a black and gold jacket said, "I'm Dalvin Butler, president of the Iota Kappa chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. Any frat brother of ours who gets shot deserves our undivided support. The Alphas are proud to march with you."

I sad, "Thanks, Dalvin."

Another Black man wearing a crimson and cream jacket said, "I'm Reuben Rivers. I'm the president of the Beta Upsilon chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi. Any friend of Soludo's is a friend of ours, even if he is an Alpha."

I said, "Thanks, Reuben."

Then the other college students who were wearing different colored jackets also pledged their solidarity. Alpha Phi Alpha is the first African-American fraternity founded in the USA and Kappa Alpha Psi is the second. Both are members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council aka the Divine Nine. A Black woman who's a Zeta Phi Beta sister (I could tell because she was wearing a royal blue jacket and pure white shirt) said, "We may belong to different frats and sororities, but the rest of the Divine Nine will also march with you! After all, we all have to stick together to fight injustice!"

I said, "Thanks, everyone."

We all marched together, holding signs, and the Blacks held up in their fists in the Black Power salute. As expected, the cops were there to break up the march. They announced, "This is an unauthorized assembly. Return to your homes immediately."

I spoke through a megaphone and said, "I'm Prince Richard Jackson. I survived Officer Byrd's racist attack against me and my friend Soludo. That's right, I said racist. There was no cause for Officer Byrd to shoot me or my friend. He thought we were criminals because we were Black. He thought we were criminals because he couldn't tell the difference between a wrench and a gun. Well, I'm here to say that Officer Byrd is the criminal! We aren't just protesting because Soludo died!"

My friends, family, and the protesters all said, "Speak the truth, Prince!" and "Fight the power!"

I yelled, "We're protesting because Soludo lived! He lived, do you hear me? Soludo's life mattered!"

Everyone else yelled, "That's right!" and "Our lives matter!"

I yelled, "DeAunta T. Farrow lived! DeAunta's life mattered! Sean Elijah Bell lived! Sean's life mattered! Amadou Diallo lived! His life mattered! Rodney King is still alive! He survived and he's still living! Rodney's life matters!"

Everyone cheered and backed up what I said. The cops looked like they wanted to beat us, throw tear gas at us, or arrest us. But if the world saw them manhandling protestors, it would just make the situation worse. So the cops let us march. There were protests but no riots that night. I call that progress.

I still wanted to sleep in my guest room at the Ndukas' house. Ma and Dad had been alternating their night stays with me. Now, my friends wanted to stay with me.

I slept in the bed while Donnie slept on a mattress near the bed. He also had a bucket, just in case my nightmares caused me to vomit again.

Donnie asked me, "Why do you still want to stay here? Doesn't this house remind you of Soludo?"

I said, "Of course it does, Don. That's why I want to stay. I need to be able to mourn Soludo properly. I need to be able to say good-bye to his spirit."

Donnie asked, "You think his ghost is still sticking around here?"

I said, "My instincts say yes. I guess Soludo wants to make sure I don't wallow in sorrow and despair."

Donnie said, "Your spiritual thinking can be _very_ weird."

I said, "I'm a Jackson. We're eccentric, the world knows that."

The next day, I decided to go to Saint Paul AME Church, the house of worship the Davises and Bishops attend every Sunday. I put on my Aramani suit and my loafers.

Donnie told me, "You go there wearing that bougie shit the cops will think you're a drug dealer and the hood rats will try to tear your Black ass up."

I said, "I'm not ashamed of who I am or what my family has accomplished. You're working hard to get your MBA so you can work on Wall Street and give your future kids the opportunities that my siblings and I have."

Donnie said, "I know, but the number of Black kids who have what you have or may have what you have in the future is still low. The Black bourgeoisie is still low compared to the poor urban Black population. So most hood rats _love_ to take their anger out on guys like you."

I said, "They can try but I'll _literally_ knock some sense into them. Then I'll try to help them out with their problems. My mama did it so I follow the same formula."

Ben drove us to Saint Paul. I called my family and friends to tell them where we were going and my parents, my siblings, my friends from college, and the Brits decided to join us. When we got to South Dallas, Dexter's and Booker's parents greeted me warmly.

Booker's father, Mr. Bishop, said, "I usually sleep in on Sundays since my barbershop is closed on this day. How is Sunday supposed to be a day of rest if folks have to come to church early in the morning? I know Jesus can understand why folks need rest."

Mrs. Bishop told her husband, "Philip, we all agreed to be here to support the church since they're helping with the protests."

Mr. Bishop said, "Helping out with protests doesn't make our clergy equal to Martin Luther King or Ralph Abernathy."

Mrs. Davis told me, "Prince, the pastors were hoping you would want to say a few words. Are you up for it?"

I said, "No. I'm here to praise the Lord, not round up more protestors."

My family and the rest of my friends showed up. I was surprised Hakim was at Saint Paul since he's a Muslim.

Hakim said, "I'm here to support a friend. Besides, I've been at church before. Sometimes I visited Donnie's church, Metropolitan AME, just to observe the differences between our Abrahamic faiths."

I told Dan, Rupert, and Tom, "Can you three try not to fall asleep?"

Rupert said, "We'll try but we're not promising guarantees."

Even though Dan's dad is a Protestant and his mom is a Jew and he was raised in both faiths, Dan considers himself an atheist. Rupert, Tom, and Emma don't come from religious families so they're also non-religious even though they haven't officially declared themselves atheists. Jo is religious and her Christian faith is also reflected a bit in the Harry Potter series although it's not an allegory of Christianity. C. S. Lewis' Narnia books have already fulfilled that role above and beyond the call of duty.

After praise and worship, the pastors had a moment of silence for Soludo and prayed that justice would prevail. God is the Master Planner and I hoped His grace and love would shine through. Unfortunately, Rupert and Tom did end up nodding off. Emma shook them awake and shook her head in embarrassment. Hey, she's had to put up with these guys for eight years. When Dan, Rupert, Emma, and Tom were cast in the Harry Potter movies, they felt like they had gained new siblings. They may get on each other's nerves sometimes but they love each other.

After church, people shook my hand and apologized for what happened to Soludo and me. Well, the Ndukas deserve most of the sympathy but they went to the Igbo Anglican Church like they do every Sunday. Folks also asked my family and friends for autographs, which we all expected. After greetings and autograph signings, we headed back to Highland Park.

When we came back to Highland Park, I stayed up in the guestroom reading _The Green Mile_ until lunchtime. As I came downstairs to see what was cooking, I heard Tom yell, "Ah, Hell no!"

I rushed into the living room to see what was making Tom so angry. I expected it would be a news piece trying to downgrade Soludo's humanity as well as my own. But I saw Tom had his left hand around the throat of Kyle Jacobs. Kyle's brown hair was as messy as a mop. He rarely combs or brushes it. His brown eyes matched his hair; his brown eyes were also full of fear and nervousness. I was also afraid that Tom might seriously harm or kill Kyle.

I said, "Tom, Kyle is not worth going to jail over. I doubt the state of Texas will give you the benefit of the doubt just because you're one of the main cast members of the Harry Potter franchise.

Tom said, "An enemy of yours is also an enemy of mine."

Dan, Rupert, and Emma also came into the living room. Emma said, "Tom, can you at least let Kyle say whatever he wants to say? Then we can kick his butt."

The rest of the Brits hate Kyle too. Hey, they're cool with anyone I befriend and they hate anyone who tries to put me down. Tom let go of Kyle's throat and said, "Talk fast, redneck."

Kyle told me, "I wanted to tell you how sorry I was about what happened to you and Soludo. You both didn't deserve that."

I was _very_ confused. I said, "Kyle, you've hated my guts since our first day of classes. You always glared at me when I got higher scores on our tests and other assignments. You think my acceptance into the Ivy League is only because of affirmative action. You think affirmative action discriminates against members of the majority, not realizing how fucking racist it is to assume your GRE scores would be higher than mine. I'd think my near-brush with death meant you would be sad that you weren't permanently rid of me."

Kyle said, "Officer Byrd only saw your dark skin and decided the world would be better off without you. I've made the same judgement over the years. If _I_ was a cop, I definitely would have shot you, Soludo, or any Black person holding something that looked similar to a gun. The fact that me and Officer Byrd are the same person is scary. I don't want to see a monster in the mirror instead of the man in the mirror."

I didn't laugh nor smile at Kyle's small joke. But I was intrigued by his insight. A mirror is the last place a person wants to see a monster. But most of the world's monsters don't know they're monsters. Most of the cops who have beaten and killed Black people don't realize they're monsters. If they did know that, they'd plead guilty every time.

I told Kyle, "You're taking a small step in the right direction, Kyle."

Kyle asked, "But it's not enough, is it?"

I said, "No, not yet. You need to do more growing, more thinking, more changing, before you completely purge the monster that dwells in your soul."

Tom asked, "Anything else you wanna say, Kyle?"

Kyle said, "Nah, I've said my piece."

Tom grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and said, "Then allow me to escort you to your car."

Tom didn't escort Kyle to his car, he dragged him.

Dan asked, "Which vet school is he going to in the fall?"

I explained, "UC Davis. Kyle applied to the vet schools at UW-Madison, Ohio State, NC State, UPenn, Cornell, UC Davis, and Texas A&M. The Ivy League rejected him but the other vet schools accepted him. Kyle's mom is a vet so he wanted to follow in her footsteps. Obviously, he wanted someone to blame for his not getting into the Ivy League and minorities are always prime scapegoats."

Today, UC Davis is one of the top ranked vet schools in the nation. My friends, Saint and EJ, are undergrad students at UC Davis. EJ has been studying agricultural and animal science and Saint has been studying psychology. But if Kyle ever crosses paths with my friends, they're gonna give him Hell.

Then I turned on the TV and watched the news. I wanted to see what segments of my life the world was viewing now. The news showed me and Soludo wearing our marching band uniforms. I played a jazz tune on my trumpet while Soludo kept the rhythm on his drum. They also showed baby and kid pictures of Soludo. They showed him with his classmates at St. Mark's.

A reporter said, "A kid who received a private school education wouldn't throw it all away by robbing a restaurant."

Then the news showed baby pictures and kid pictures of me. My parents, Uncle Mike, Auntie Liz, Princess Diana, Nelson Mandela, and others all held me as a baby and as a kid.

A reporter said, "Any kid who rubs shoulders with people this important and powerful is a kid you shouldn't mess with. Obviously, a kid with this many connections doesn't need to rob a Taco Bell in order to eat."

But they showed pictures of me and Soludo wearing our "Dangerous" outfits and they showed a video of us stepping with the Alphas and the Kappas. I helped choreograph the Alphas' routine because it was obvious that simple step techniques weren't going to result in victories. Our step routine was a mix of Dad's style and the South LA breakdancing style.

Then a reporter said, "Any two guys who wear street clothing and know so many breakdance moves must have a strong connection to the streets. How do we know that Prince Jackson doesn't have connections to the Bloods and Crips? How do we know Soludo doesn't have connections with South Dallas' gangbangers and drug dealers?"

I said, "My dad's fashion style isn't 'street' and _lots_ of Black folks know how to breakdance even though they may not all reside in the ghetto."

The BBC showed behind-the-scenes of the wizarding world. In one video, I was measured for a Ravenclaw school uniform and in the other Soludo was being measured for a Hufflepuff uniform. They also showed videos of me helping Dan, Rupert, Emma, Tom, and the rest of the cast with their homework. They also showed me teaching martial arts to the boys. Paris taught the girls.

Then Alfie explained, "Some people might think Prince is dangerous because he's a master martial artist. But he lives by the martial arts code: fighting is for self-defense only. Prince never rushes into fights and he only uses his martial arts skills as a last resort. He's more than happy to teach people who are willing to learn."

When I saw those behind-the-scenes videos, it launched me into another memory.


	16. Chapter 16

[ _Flashback_ ]

We arrived at Heathrow Airport on November 4, 2000. Ma and Dad's work schedule is always busy but Ma was able to schedule their honorary ceremony at Oxford on November 10, six days from Saturday. Ma and Dad also wanted to fly to England after Halloween so that we could celebrate the holiday at home. Halloween is one of our family's favorite holidays because we can wear masks and no one bothers us about it. No one stares at me or my siblings on Halloween because it's normal for everyone to hide their faces on the thirty-first of October. We always have plenty of candy at our Neverland Ranch but my siblings and I love earning our own candy. I don't know why people call Halloween "the Devil's holiday." Satan can't produce happiness and joy so I don't think he plays a hand in Halloween.

Flying to different countries with our parents is always stressful because of how long the flights are. My siblings and I entertain ourselves by reading books, drawing pictures, and watching movies. Another stressful thing is jet lag. Like I said before, England is eight hours ahead of California. So the jet lag is usually pretty bad when we fly long distances. The flight from Los Angeles, California to London, England usually takes about ten and a half hours ago. But since our family flies on the fastest jets, we arrived in London ten hours after we left LA. We had left LA at 9:00 AM, which meant it was 7:00 PM in LA when we landed in England. But the time in London was 3:00 AM. There were still lots of people at the airport at night, so Ma and Dad were swarmed by fans. My parents signed autographs while Douglas, the bodyguards, our tutors, my siblings, and I collected our luggage.

There was still a lot to see of London in those early hours of the morning. Plenty of lights, plenty of cars, plenty of people. It took us half an hour to arrive at the London Hilton on Park Lane. At first glance, this Hilton looks more like a skyscraper than a hotel. But it's a five-star hotel with great suites, great service, and great food. This is the kind of luxury our family is used to.

My siblings decided to catch some Z's in our hotel rooms before we went to visit Dan and the rest of the Harry Potter cast at his house in Fulham. When we woke up, we called room service. After we ate a hearty British breakfast, Douglas' brother drove us to Fulham. Whenever we arrive in London, our butler's brother is usually our chauffeur. Douglas sits up front and chats with his brother on almost everything. Family, friends, their jobs, world economics, et cetera.

The drive from the London Hilton on Park Lane to Fulham only takes a quarter of an hour if the traffic isn't bad. Traffic wasn't bad that morning so we arrived there fifteen minutes on the dot. When we rang the doorbell, Mr. and Mrs. Radcliffe were so happy to see us.

They hugged me and my siblings and then Mrs. Radcliffe said, "Dan and his friends are still shooting some scenes. They should be back soon since they're only allowed to work four hours a day."

Dad said, "Four hours a day? My brothers and I worked much longer hours than that."

Mr. Radcliffe said, "Well, the studio has to obey British child labour laws and the kids still have to do schoolwork."

Mrs. Radcliffe said, "They're planning on filming the first two Harry Potter films back-to-back in order to take full advantage of the kids' young ages. They don't want them to outgrow their roles before the third film."

Dad said, "The world always wants to keep child stars young forever. But Dan and the rest of the cast has an advantage that me, Tremaine, the Utopian Knights, and other child stars don't have. The world expects them to grow up onscreen because Harry and his friends grow up in the books."

I said, "But Dad, Tremaine grew up from a kid to a teenager on _House of Payne_. Shouldn't the world have known Tremaine would grow up as the series progressed through the eighties and the early nineties?"

Dad said, "Secretly, I'm sure the public wanted the Payne kids to stay kids. Plus, _House of Payne_ is based off a play by Uncle Gabriel, not a series of novels. If the TV show had been based off books, the world would have expected Tremaine to grow up since Raheem Payne would also grow up in the novels."

Ma said, "That's wonderful insight, Mike."

Paris, the twins, and I did some extra work in order to get ahead in our schooling. My tutor, Mr. Richardson, saw that the seventh grade work he assigned me wasn't challenging and that I was bored during our lessons. He gave me eighth grade work but I didn't find that challenging either. When Mr. Richardson gave me ninth grade work, my brain was finally challenged. Mr. Richardson informed Ma and Dad that he thought it was best for me to skip two grades because I had a prodigious mind. Ma had skipped _six grades_ when she was a kid so she was optimistic about me skipping a couple of grades. On the other hand, Dad was pessimistic, worrying that my skipping two grades would cause me to grow up too fast. But I assured Dad that I could do my schoolwork and balance it with playtime. So Dad agreed. Of course, this means I'll be applying to colleges in a few years.

I decided to work in Dan's room in order to have some quiet. Paris and the twins studied in the living room. I had finished my math worksheet and had moved on to biology. I was listening to music on my Discman, some oldies from the '60s. As soon as the work clicked for me, I heard Dan yell, "Alright, you're here!"

I jumped in fright, an unusual thing since my instincts have gotten sharper since Curtis died. I took off my headphones and exclaimed, "Dan, don't scare me like that! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Dan said, "Sorry, Prince."

I smiled and said, "Now give me a hug, Dan."

We hugged each other and I lifted Dan off his feet. Then a boy's voice said, "Oh no, he's a hugger."

I put Dan down and saw a blond boy and a ginger-haired boy looking at me. I knew from seeing them on the news and in magazines that they were Tom Felton and Rupert Grint. Tom had been cast to play Slytherin bully Draco Malfoy although he had told me and my family over long distance calls that he had originally auditioned for the roles of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. When he was cast as Draco, Tom had to dye his brown hair blond in order to look more like the character.

I told Tom, "Yep, my family are huggers. Any friend of Dan's is a friend of mine."

I immediately hugged Tom, who I could tell wasn't really into it. Dan said he's a bit of a tough guy. Then I hugged Rupert, who smiled awkwardly and said, "Lots of love, now put me down."

When I put Rupert down, Tom said, "You're stronger than you look. Any chance you can teach us some martial arts moves? Dan said you and your siblings are masters."

I said, "That's an exaggeration. My siblings are still students so we're not masters yet. My mom's the master and my oldest siblings, Tremaine and China, have become masters too."

Rupert asked, "Can you still teach us some moves?"

I said, "Sure, as long as you promise to follow the martial arts code."

Tom said, "Yeah, yeah, martial arts is for defence, not offence, yada yada yada."

I went to the living room to meet the rest of the cast. I was introduced to Emma Watson, Matthew Lewis, Devon Murray, and Alfred Enoch. Well, I'd already talked to them long distance but this was the first time I'd seen them in person.

Emma hugged me and said, "It is so great to finally meet you! Dan hasn't stopped talking about you and your siblings for over a month! Seriously, after hearing him tell us how cool, smart, and talented you all are, I feel like I know you already!"

Dan and the rest of the Harry Potter cast didn't waste time leading me and my siblings into the wizarding world. It's always magical when a world from a book is brought into the real world. First, we drove to Leavesden Studios. The only sets that had been built were the Great Hall, the Grand Staircase, and the Gryffindor Common Room.

Dad said, "Reminds me of the sets that were built for _The Wiz_. They were different from the 1939 version but I still loved them. Always felt like I was in the Land of Oz."

Dan explained, "In order to make sure Hogwarts has an authentic feel, we've been shooting scenes at old churches and cathedrals. We're also gonna shoot some scenes at Oxford. Emma said her friend Afryea's father is a professor at the university and has been able to convince the chancellor to let us shoot scenes there."

Paris said, "Cool. Can't can get more authentic than Oxford."

Rupert said, "Dan said trying to sort you four would be tough because you have traits from each Hogwarts House. Are any of them your favourites?"

I scrunched my face in concentration and said, "I admire all four Houses but I haven't picked a favourite. But Jabari has figured out that his House is Gryffindor because his name means 'bravery.'"

Paris said, "And since China has huge ambitions about transforming the business side of the entertainment industry, we all figure she would be a Slytherin."

I said, "Despite the fact that Slytherins have produced more Dark wizards than any Hogwarts house, that doesn't mean they're all bad. They're just misunderstood, like the Bloods and the Crips."

Emma asked, "The Bloods and the Crips are _misunderstood_?"

Paris said, "Yeah, they are! Don't judge them before you get to know them!"

Tom asked, "Do you see the Bloods and Blues all the time when you visit South Central?"

I said, "Yeah, but they treat us with respect because of who our parents are and because we don't treat them like they're worthless."

Emma had a confused look on her face and I told her, "Gangsters and other criminals are not the most dangerous among us but the most vulnerable. The Bloods, Crips, and other gangs aren't comprised of bad people but _broken_ people."

Rupert said, "Both her parents are lawyers so I'm sure she has a black-and-white view about crime."

Emma slapped Rupert's arm and said, "I do not! There's just certain aspects of criminology I don't fully understand."

I said, "If you're allowed to go to South Central, we can introduce you to the Bloods and Crips personally."

Tom said, "Ha! No way our parents will let us go anywhere near South Central."

Paris said, "Then you can meet our friends at our ranch. We can guarantee that you won't be near any gunshots."

After lunch, Dan asked me, "Are you feeling okay?"

I asked, "About what?"

Dan explained, "I thought all that talk about gangsters would have you thinking about your friend Curt and then you'd break down and cry or something."

I told Dan, "I'm fine, Dan. Curt has been laid to his eternal rest and I have to learn to continue living. Mama went through the same thing when Grandma Victoria died. In fact, Grandma dying convinced her to finally give Dad a chance and they started dating. A few years later, BOOM, they were married. Tragedy helps us appreciate life more."

The day after was Guy Fawkes Night, a holiday where people wear Guy Fawkes masks in order to celebrate the downfall of the Gunpowder Plot. Any holiday where it's cool to wear masks is cool with my family. We've also worn skeleton masks for the Day of the Dead celebrations among Mexican and colourful masks for Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans.

We had talked to the child actors and actresses on the phone for over a month and they had already told us what they were struggling with. Dan still needed more help with reading, Rupert and Tom needed help with math and science, Emma needed help with her French, et cetera.

When I sat down with Emma after shooting, I said, "Any person can learn any language if they shut up long enough to listen and sit still long enough to study. My mother's words, not mine."

Emma said, "Dan said you and were siblings were multilingual. Is that true or was he fibbing?"

I told Emma, "My brother Tremaine is fluent in English, French, Spanish, and Japanese. China is fluent in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. Paris and I are fluent in English, French, Spanish, and Japanese. The twins are still trying to master French and Spanish."

Emma said, "Impressive. How many languages are you planning to study?"

I said, "Me, personally, at least six. A person needs to master at least six languages to be considered a polyglot."

Emma said, "Okay, so what new languages are you learning now?"

I said, "Xhosa, one of South Africa's official languages and the language of Nelson Mandela's tribe. Then I'll try to master Italian."

Emma said, "I'm ten and I'm still not closer to being fluent in French."

I said, "Don't worry, you can do it. I can tell you have the brains and the energy."

Emma had told us over the phone that she had been born in Paris, France. Her family had moved back to England when she was five and her parents got a divorce. Divorce is always hard on kids; it's something _a lot_ of my cousins have have to deal with. Emma told my family that she and her brother live with their mom in Oxford during the week and then visit their dad in London on the weekends. Oxford and London are very close so I'm glad Emma can spend plenty of quality time with both her parents.

Getting Rupert and Tom interested in schoolwork was harder since they obviously didn't think learning was fun. I wondered if they'd bother continue with their schooling after they turned sixteen. In the UK, kids can choose to drop out of school when they turn sixteen. Dropping out of high school isn't an option for me or my siblings because Mama said the requirement is for us all to at least get a high school diploma. A college degree is optional.

I asked Rupert and Tom, "What would you rather be doing instead of schoolwork?"

Rupert said, "Work work but we can only work a few hours each day."

I asked, "Anything else?"

Tom said, "Listening to music or watching football."

I asked, "British football or American football?"

Rupert and Tom said, "Both."

I asked, "Do you like basketball and baseball?"

They said, "Yeah!"

I then drew up football, basketball, and baseball games on the chalkboard. I then asked them algebra questions about the games and Rupert and Tom gave me the right answers!

I said, "You got it, you guys, you got it!"

Mama and Dad had to work on their speeches at their honourary ceremonies. My parents have received _a lot_ of honourary degrees and diplomas over the years but there isn't enough room to hang them all in our mansion. My parents have made countless speeches about the importance of education but that message goes in one ear and out the other with _a lot_ of people.

While Mama and Dad did their own work, Paris and I had plenty of things to keep us busy. After helping the Harry Potter cast with their homework, they immediately asked us to teach them karate.

Dan had told Matthew to sneak up on Paris, as if he would attack her or mug her. Paris immediately grabbed him and judo-flipped him. Mama did the same thing to Joseph when Uncle Julian had told Dad and Joseph how skilled a martial artist Mama is.

All the British kids immediately exclaimed, "That was so cool! Can you teach us how to do that?"

I said, "We're still students so we can teach you some basics."

Paris said, "I'll teach the girls, Prince can teach the boys."

Tom asked, "Why can't we have co-ed classes?"

I explained, "Because if the girls' dads find out we're grabbing and holding them in places that our own dads forgot existed, they'll lock us _all up_ for being perverts. That clear?"

Rupert said, "Crystal, Master Yoda."

I rolled my eyes and then I told the boys to change into some exercise clothes. When we found a place to practice, I immediately told the guys to sit down, cross their legs, close their eyes, and breathe in through their noses and out through their mouths.

Alfie said, "Say what now?"

Dan explained, "It's called meditation. It helps link our bodies, minds, and souls."

I said, "Let's see how enlightened you are after twenty minutes."

After twenty minutes, I made the boys run laps and do push-ups and sit-ups. I couldn't believe how out of shape some of them were.

I said, "We need to strengthen your bodies. Martial arts is not for the weak."

After doing this for a few days, I finally taught the boys stances and striking techniques.

I explained, "A stance determines if a strike or a kick will work effectively."

We practiced on punching bags. I showed the boys the fore fist, the back fist, the lunge punch, the rising punch, the hook punch, and the elbow strike. Chris, the director, and the other grown-ups didn't want the kids to hurt themselves. Paris and I assured the grown-ups that the actors weren't doing anything dangerous. We were just teaching them the basics. Within a week, they were pretty good.

Tom asked, "How long before we get our black belts?"

I explained, "It takes years to become a master and Mama doesn't believe in the belt system. You don't want to advertise your skills to everybody because you want to keep the element of surprise. Martial arts tournaments are also a no-no. The real world is different from mixed martial arts cage matches. There are no judges, referees, or rules. An enemy will do anything and everything to end you. That's why you must stay vigilant!"

Devon said, "You sound like Mad-Eye Moody."

I said, "Mad-Eye Moody is an experienced warrior who knows how dangerous this world can be. He just wants people to be safe and so do I. Use these teachings wisely."

Since Mama and Dad's ceremony was on a Saturday, the Harry Potter cast was able to watch. Plus, Emma's dad, mom, and brothers were there as well. Emma's mother had remarried another man and Emma and her little brother, Alex, got two stepbrothers. Emma's mother, Ms. Jacqueline, pinched my cheeks and my siblings' as well. She said we were cute, something we've heard a hundred times. Emma also introduced us to her friends and, at first, I thought they were only interested in my parents. You know, same old, same old.

After Mama and Dad's ceremony, we all congratulated them. Then I noticed Emma's friends looking at me and giggling. I was able to figure out that they thought I was cute. Girls in the Santa Ynez Valley, South Central, and other places all think I'm cute when I'm not wearing my mask.

When I was reading a book under a tree on the Oxford campus, Emma said, "You're _definitely_ different from other boys."

I asked, "Why? Because I skipped two grades, I wear a mask, and I'm a skilled martial artist?"

Emma said, "No. Because girls like you and you don't act on it. You also spend a lot of time reading and working. I admire your work ethic but it sometimes feel like...you're shutting other people out."

I explained, "I don't shut people out. My siblings and I are picky about our friends because most kids don't want to be _our_ friends. Most kids want to be _our parents'_ friends. Other kids think my siblings and I are weird or spoiled brats, so they automatically don't want anything to do with us."

Emma said, "Dan assured us that you and your brothers and sisters aren't spoiled brats. He did say your oldest brother, Tremaine, still has the mental capacity of a preteen."

I laughed and said, "Yeah, he's still a kid at heart but he's also smart."

Emma said, "Like I said when I met you, I already felt I knew you and your siblings because of all the stories Dan told about you. I was fascinated by you, Paris, Jabari, and Kenya as much as I'm fascinated by your parents. Besides, after reading your parents' autobiographies, I feel like I know them already."

Mama released her autobiography earlier this year. It was a worldwide bestseller, as we predicted.

Emma said, "The cast and I consider you and your siblings our friends. Not because you're Jacksons, but because you're Prince, Paris, Jabari, and Kenya."

That was actually very touching. I said, "Thanks, Emma."

A few days later, while I was helping the guys and girls with their homework, Rupert asked, "Are you planning on going to university in the future?"

I told him, "Yes. I want to become a veterinarian, just like my mom."

Emma asked, "Are there any schools you're considering for the future?"

I said, "There are _a lot_ of choices. First, I have to get a degree in animal science and/or zoology. Schools that have great undergrad programs for pre-vet students include UC Davis, Ohio State, Michigan State, UW-Madison, Minnesota, UIUC, Cornell, Freeman, Atlanta A&T, et cetera. There are thirty-two veterinary medical schools in the USA so I'll have _a lot_ of options and _a lot_ of thinking to do."

Emma asked, "Ever considered studying here in the UK?"

I said, "The UK is too far away from home for me. But I know you Brits have great schools that are world-renowned. The only vet schools you guys have here in the UK are at the RVC, Cambridge, the University of Liverpool, the University of Bristol, the University of Nottingham, the University of Surrey, Harper & Keele, the Royal School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, and the University of Aberystwyth."

Dan said, "For the record, the RVC is the best vet school in the UK. If you decided to study here in London, we'll be here to keep you company. Depending on our filming schedule, of course."

I laughed and said, "That's cool of you guys but I think I'll stick with the US of A."

My family and I stayed in the UK for about a month. The twins celebrated their eighth birthday and the Harry Potter cast were guests at the hotel party. Soon snow covered the streets of England, families were decorating Christmas trees, and kids were sitting on Father Christmas's lap at the malls. But soon we had to head home.

Before we left, Dan asked, "You're going to hang a _Philosopher's Stone_ movie poster in your movie theatre, right?"

I said, "Of course. Neverland always shows the latest films."

Tom asked, "And we'll be allowed to visit you when we visit California?"

Paris said, "Of course! In fact, we would be insulted if you didn't visit our ranch."

I said, "Neverland has plenty of room and plenty of fun stuff to entertain the child in all of us."

[ _End Flashback_ ]


	17. Chapter 17

Before my family, my close friends, and I left Texas, we had a visit from Ethan Byrd. He had brown hair and brown eyes and was an inch shorter than me, making him the same height as Rupert.

He met us at DA Watkins' office. The Dallas County DA's offices are located at the Frank Crowley Court Buildings at 133 North Riverfront Boulevard. The DA's office is a ten to fifteen minute drive from the Ndukas' house depending on traffic. When I first visited DA Watkins' workplace, I studied the degrees mounted on his wall. He has a BA in political science from Prairie View A&M, a Black Ivy League school located here in Texas. He got his JD from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law.

I told DA Watkins, "Great schools. My friend, Duke Bloomberg, goes to PVAMU as well. He's majoring in business. I can tell you've worked hard to become the DA."

DA Watkins replied, "Thank you, Prince. I know from the news and the stories your loved ones have told about the work you've done as a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Since Soludo was a member of my fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, I felt a great obligation to help out a fellow frat brother."

I nodded in approval and said, "Soludo and I were friends before we joined our frats. But we don't let the different frats we joined keep us apart. The Kappas have a strong brotherhood, just like the Alphas. All members of the Divine Nine have produced exceptional men and women. Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, Cedric the Entertainer, John Singleton, Montell Jordan, Reginald Lewis, Tom Bradley, Ralph Abernathy, Bernard Harris, and Wilt Chamberlain are all Kappas."

DA Watkins said, "I'm impressed you could remember that. Yet, with all those Kappa brothers stored in your brain and your friend Soludo's influence, you still decided to pledge Alpha Phi Alpha."

I laughed and said, "Kappa Alpha Psi and Phi Beta Sigma are the only members of the Divine Nine that have chapters in Nigeria, Soludo's parents' birthplace. My roots are also in Nigeria but I share the same birthday with the most famous Alpha in history: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. My sister Paris' godfather, Gabriel Hampton, is also an Alpha. W. E. B. Du Bois, Frederick Douglass, Duke Ellington, Lionel Richie, Walt Frazier, Jesse Owens, Thurgood Marshall, John H. Johnson, Alonzo Herndon, Andrew Young, and Maynard Jackson are also members of the Alpha brotherhood."

When Ethan came into DA Watkins' office, he immediately said, "I want to apologize a thousand times over for what my despicable excuse for a father did to Soludo. Y'all have been in my prayers since I heard that my dad killed an unarmed Black man and seriously injured a second one. My instincts told me this day would come which is why I'm glad I bugged my house."

I said, "I beg your pardon?"

Then Ethan took out some tapes from his briefcase and explained, "My father has been a racist for years. I never brought my Black and Brown friends over because I knew my dad would insult them. When they finally begged to see my house, my dad insulted them, but not to their faces. I had planted a tape recorder in my parents' room so that I'd have evidence of my father's racist nature. Whenever unarmed Black men, women, and children are gunned down by cops, I immediately knew that my dad could do something so heartless and not feel a speck of remorse."

DA Watkins said, "My office will go through these tapes and have them cleared as evidence."

Emma asked, "What did your dad do the day after he killed Soludo?"

Ethan said, "He invited his friends over to play poker, drink beer, eat chips, and watch TV. I was steaming mad when I saw him laughing and carrying on! A Black man was in the city morgue and his friend was in the hospital with critical injuries. But my dad was celebrating and having a party! Mom was also mad as Hell, pardon my French. She told Dad to pack his things and get out of her house. Dad was surprised and asked Mom what her problem was. Mom explained, 'There's no room in my house or life for a heartless murderer!' Then Dad said, 'Honey, you don't know the full story. Ya see, I heard loud rap music and decided to drive to where the music was. I saw two Black thugs standing near a Pontiac, a model I believed that had been reported stolen. The first Black guy had a gun and said, 'I'm gonna show 'em their asses and rob this damn restaurant.' The second Black guy said, 'Got it, my homie!' So I had to shoot them both to keep them from harming anyone in Taco Bell or getting away with the stolen car.'"

I said, "That's straight-up bullshit!"

Paris said, "Your daddy is a heartless liar!"

Everyone else voiced their opinions about Officer Byrd in _very strong_ French until Ethan whistled and said, "Whoa, everybody! Do you think I would be here if my mother and I believed my father's lies?"

Jabari said, "No way!"

I said, "Jabari, that was a rhetorical question."

Ethan explained, "I told my dad, 'That's a lie and you know it. According to the videotape, Soludo Nduka was holding a wrench, not a gun. Prince Jackson yelled at his friend to drop the wrench and get down. Prince Jackson was on the ground with his hands over his heads when you tried to kill him. Last time I checked, that counts as killing an unarmed Black man and critically injuring another unarmed Black man. If God is just, then _you'll_ have to pay the price.' Then Dad looked surprise that the attack had been captured on videotape. Then he angrily took his stuff and said he didn't need this shit. He's staying with Uncle George, who's a lawyer. I don't know if the AG will help my dad but the AG and my dad are both Republicans."

Dan said, "That says more about them than anything else."

Tremaine said, "Dude, remember that Abe Lincoln was a Republican."

Dan said, "If this were the 1830s, Officer Byrd would be working as an overseer and slave catcher and the AG would own hundreds of acres of cotton fields manned by dozens of slaves."

I asked Ethan, "What do you do for a living, Ethan?"

Ethan explained, "I'm still in school. I just finished my second year at Louisiana State University. I'm pursuing a Liberal Arts degree at LSU with a concentration in Religious Studies."

Mama asked, "You want to be a preacher?"

Ethan said, "Yes, ma'am. I love the Lord and I want to spread the Gospel. There's so much darkness in the world and I want to help light things up."

Tom asked, "Are your parents religious?"

Ethan said, "Mom, yes. Dad, no."

Kenya said, "That explains a lot."

I asked, "Are there any others surprises from your father's past we should know about?"

Ethan said, "Yeah, my grandma was killed when my dad and uncle were kids. It was a hit-and-run. The cops caught the Black guy who did it, James Taylor, and charged him with first-degree murder. His brother, Peter Taylor, was with him in the car and was charged with aiding and abetting. James was actually aiming at another Black guy, Willie Cooper, who had beat up his brother but Grandma got caught in the crossfire and was killed along with Willie Cooper. James and Peter were given the death penalty and were executed ten years later. But I'm sure my dad developed a pathological hatred for _all_ people of color. He became a school bully and was expelled in his senior year of high school because he had broken a Black kid's leg. The Black kid had been elected class president, which meant he beat my dad. The principal could have had my dad arrested but instead he kicked him out of school."

Tremaine said, "If your dad had been locked-up, _a lotta_ people's lives would be a lot better."

Emma exclaimed, "Tremaine, remember what Mr. Stevenson said. Everyone deserves just mercy and unmerited grace."

Ethan said, "My dad then took the GED and passed. He then joined the Army and was discharged after four years."

Paris asked, "Then your dad applied for a job with the Dallas PD and those fools took him on?"

Ethan said, "Now, Paris, not _all_ cops are racist, cowardly fools. But the Dallas PD did do a background check on my dad and they found out he had been expelled for breaking a Black kid's leg. But he also showed great skill and bravery in the Army and his superiors even wrote letters of recommendation for him. So the Dallas PD gave my dad a chance and let him become an officer."

Paris said, "The Dallas PD were still fools for hiring your dad."

I said, "Obviously, Officer Byrd is still holding onto resentment over his mother's death. But lots of Black and Brown kids have lost their parents to hit-and-runs and other forms of violence. Officer Byrd could have learned to sympathize with them and helped bring change to South Dallas, Oak Cliff, and other ghettos. But Office Byrd chose to give into his inner demons and turned into the very same monster that took away his own mother."

Rupert asked DA Watkins, "Think the grand jury will take Officer Byrd's life story into consideration?"

DA Watkins said, "They might if Ethan testifies as well."

Ethan said, "Don't worry, I'll do what I can to make sure my dad ends up behind bars where he belongs."

DA Watkins said he'd keep my family posted about the grand jury date. Until then, he thought it best I head home and fully recuperate. Gideon, Jasmine, Donnie, Hakim, and Uncle Mike all booked flights to head back home to Boston, Tampa, and the Big Apple. Mr. Stevenson had to fly back to Alabama to help folks on death row and help out with the protests there. Lawrence Hill decided to stay in Dallas for awhile before he went home to Canada. But Nelson Mandela, Auntie Liz, Mr. T, and the Brits were flying to Santa Barbara with me and my family.

I was a bit sad when we left Dallas because I felt like I was turning my back on Soludo. But there was nothing more for me to do but rest, recuperate, and prepare for my graduation. The flight on the private jet took three hours and a quarter hours. I passed the time by reading and listening to uplifting music.

Mos Def rapped:

_I don't wanna write this down_   
_I wanna tell you how I feel right now_   
_I don't wanna take no time to write this down_   
_I wanna tell you how I feel right now, hey (World premiere)_   
_Tomorrow may never come_   
_For you or me, life is not promised_   
_Tomorrow may never show up_   
_For you and me, this life is not promised_   
_I ain't no perfect man_   
_I'm trying to do, the best that I can_   
_With what it is I have_   
_I ain't no perfect man_   
_I'm trying to do, the best that I can_   
_With what it is I have_

_Put my heart and soul into this song  
I hope you feel me  
From where I am, to wherever you are  
I mean that sincerely  
Tomorrow may never come  
For you and me, life is not promised  
Tomorrow may never appear  
You better hold this very moment very close to you  
Very close to you, so close to you  
So close to you, don't be afraid, to let it shine_

_My Umi said shine your light on the world  
Shine your light for the world to see  
My Abi said shine your light on the world  
Shine your light for the world to see  
My Umi said shine your light on the world  
Shine your light for the world to see  
My Abi said shine your light on the world  
Shine your light for the world to see_

_Sometimes I get discouraged  
I look around and, things are so weak  
People are so weak  
Sometimes, sometimes I feel like crying  
Sometimes my heart gets heavy  
Sometimes I just want to leave and fly away (Like a dove)  
Sometimes I don't know what to do with myself  
Passion takes over me  
I feel like a man, going insane, losing my brain  
Trying to maintain, doing my thang  
Put my heart and soul into this y'all  
I hope you feel me where I am, to wherever you are  
Sometimes I don't want to be bothered  
Sometimes I just want a quiet life, with  
Me and my babies, me and my lady  
Sometimes I don't want to get into no war  
Sometimes I don't wanna be a soldier  
Sometimes I just wanna be a man, but_

_My Umi said shine your light on the world  
Shine your light for the world to see  
My Abi said shine your light on the world  
Shine your light for the world to see  
My Jiddo said shine your light on the world  
Shine your light for the world to see  
My elders said shine your light on the world  
Shine your light for the world to see_

_I want black people to be free, to be free, to be free  
All my people to be free, to be free, to be free  
All black people to be free, to be free, to be free  
All black people to be free  
That's all that matters to me  
That's all that matters to me  
That's all that matters to me  
That's all that matters to me  
That's all that matters to me  
That's all that matters to me_

_Black people unite and let's all get down  
Gotta have what  
Gotta have that love  
Peace and understanding  
One God, one light  
One man, one voice, one mic  
Black people unite come on and do it right  
Black people unite come on and do it right  
Black people unite come on and get down  
Gotta have what  
Love, peace and understanding  
One God, one voice, one life  
One man, gon' shine my light  
Black people unite, now hop up and do it right  
Black people unite, now come on and do it right  
Yeah baby that's what I like  
Yeah baby that's what I like_

_Black people  
My people  
Black people  
My people  
My people  
My people_

"Umi Says" is one of my all-time favorite songs. It reflects how I feel all the time. My umi/mother, my abi/father, and my jiddo/grandpa have all told me to shine my light wherever I go. Some people think I'm showing off but I'm just being me. How can someone dim their light when it's a natural thing?

I also listened to Marvin Gaye sing "What's Goin' On":

_Mother, mother  
There's too many of you crying  
Brother, brother, brother  
There's far too many of you dying  
You know we've got to find a way  
To bring some lovin' here today, eheh_

_Father, father  
We don't need to escalate  
You see, war is not the answer  
For only love can conquer hate  
You know we've got to find a way  
To bring some lovin' here today, oh oh oh_

_Picket lines and picket signs  
Don't punish me with brutality  
Talk to me, so you can see  
Oh, what's going on  
What's going on  
Yeah, what's going on  
Ah, what's going on_

_In the mean time  
Right on, baby  
Right on brother  
Right on babe_

_Mother, mother, everybody thinks we're wrong  
Oh, but who are they to judge us  
Simply 'cause our hair is long  
Oh, you know we've got to find a way  
To bring some understanding here today  
Oh oh oh_

_Picket lines and picket signs  
Don't punish me with brutality  
C'mon talk to me  
So you can see  
What's going on  
Yeah, what's going on  
Tell me what's going on  
I'll tell you what's going on, ooh ooo ooo ooo  
Right on baby  
Right on baby_

Marvin Gaye was one of Dad's idols. He was the Prince of Motown so people also looked up to him. I listened to Louis Armstrong sing about "What A Wonderful World" we live in even though there's so much darkness.

_I see trees of green, red roses too  
I see them bloom for me and you  
And I think to myself what a wonderful world_

_I see skies of blue and clouds of white  
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night  
And I think to myself what a wonderful world_

_The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky  
Are also on the faces of people going by  
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do  
They're really saying I love you_

_I hear babies crying, I watch them grow_   
_They'll learn much more than I'll never know_   
_And I think to myself what a wonderful world_   
_Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world_

Mos Def, the Prince of Motown, and Satchmo all preached the truth, just like my dad. Well, not _exactly_ like my dad since he has his own style. But despite all the songs preaching freedom and equality, people like Officer Byrd are still given authority over people's lives even though they obviously don't deserve it. Intentions look better on paper or in music than in real life.

Soon we arrived home in California. Douglas was there with the limo and a van to carry our luggage.

Douglas immediately hugged me and gave me the same look so many others have given me: pity. He said, "Master Prince, I'm _sooooo_ glad you're back home! Neverland wouldn't be the same without you!"

I hugged him back and said, "Thanks, Douglas."

Douglas said, "I wished I could have gone, but your mother insisted that I couldn't put off having my gallstones removed."

I asked, "How do you feel? Shouldn't you be resting?"

Douglas explained, "I _can't_ rest knowing a young man I helped raise was fighting for his life! I told the doctors that the best way for me to recuperate was to look after you. _I'm_ not happy unless _you_ _and the rest of your family_ are happy."

I said, "Thanks, Douglas. You're the best butler in the world."

We drove back to Neverland. If I'm a Prince, this is my Kingdom. It's smaller than other Kingdoms but it's a nicer place than most. You'd think my siblings and I would outgrow all the wonders of Neverland but I don't think we ever will. Neverland is meant to entertain the child in all of us, similar to Disneyland.

Most of our guests situated themselves in the guest cottages. But Tom and Rupert decided to bunk in China's old bedroom.

I asked, "Which one of you will sleep on the bed while the other sleeps on the floor?"

Rupert explained, " _I'm_ sleeping in the bed."

Tom said, "And _I'm_ sleeping on the floor in _your_ room."

I said, "Dudes, this isn't necessary. Darwin already sleeps in my room when I'm home." Darwin is my family's four-year-old Beagle.

Tom said, "Prince, we all think it is. We all know how restless you've become while sleeping these past few weeks."

Rupert said, "When you get better, then we'll let you sleep alone."

I rolled my eyes and said, "Fine."

I asked Douglas to put a mattress on the floor of my bedroom so that Tom could sleep there. Since I turned fourteen, I sleep in boxers and a windbreaker. Tom had on regular pajamas.

Tom stretched out on the floor mattress and said, "Good night, Prince."

I said, "Sleep tight, Tom."

Darwin barked twice and then settled down to sleep. That's his way of saying good night to me and Tom. Better to have one of my best friends sleeping over in my room than my parents.


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning, my cell was ringing. I usually turn it off at night but I'd been keeping it on 24/7 to ensure folks I'm alive and well.

The ringing woke Darwin and Tom up. Tom grumbled, "Who's callin' at this time of the morning?"

I looked at my digital clock on my bedside table and said, "Tom, it's eight A.M."

Tom put his pillow over his head and said, "Answer the phone and tell whoever's callin' to phone back at a reasonable hour."

I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Gideon. I answered the phone and said, "Hi, Gideon. Are you calling to see if I got home okay?"

Gideon said, "Yeah. That and I wanted to tell you I got taken off Cornell's wait-list and have been accepted to their vet school. Too bad UPenn rejected me; I could have watched your back in the City of Brotherly Love."

I said, "Gid, Donnie will also be at UPenn. Albeit, he'll be studying for his MBA so I won't have familiar faces with me during my vet school classes. But you don't have to sacrifice your dreams to ensure that I'll be okay."

Gideon applied to the vet schools at UW-Madison, Tufts, UPenn, Cornell, Ohio State, the University of Minnesota, and UC Davis. UPenn rejected him, Cornell deferred him, and the other vet schools accepted him. If Cornell rejected him, then Gid said he'd most likely go to school at Tufts. But I can tell he doesn't want to be too close to home.

Gid told me on the phone, "When we have the time we can visit each other in the Big Apple. We could rendezvous in Donnie's hood or Hakim's apartment. At least you don't have to worry about making all-new friends at UPenn."

I said, "No, man, I'll have a massive one-friend head-start."

We both laughed and Tom asked, "Prince, what's Gideon calling about?"

I told Gideon, "Hold on, Gid. Tom wants to know what you called me for."

Then I told Tom Gideon had been accepted at Cornell and planned to visit me and Donnie in the Big Apple. Has me wondering if Uncle Mike, Auntie Lisa, and Uncle Kel will also drive down to Philly to check on me since New York is only an hour away from Philly by car.

Since I was up, I went to brush my teeth and take a shower. Tom asked, "Do you need any help?"

I said, "No, Tom."

Tom asked, "Are you sure?"

I said, "Yeah, I'm sure!"

While I was brushing my teeth in my bathroom, someone knocked on the door. I asked with a mouth full of toothpaste, "Who is it?"

Rupert said, "It's Rupert. Do you need any help?"

I said, "No, Rupert."

Rupert asked, "Are you sure?"

I banged on the door and exclaimed, "Rupert, I'm fine! I don't need to be nursed twenty-four-seven! Now go and wash up your own body! You know how my parents are about cleanliness!"

The left side of my body and my left leg were wrapped in bandages. Underneath the bandages were stitches, covering up my bullet wounds and the incisions the surgeons made. Dr. Nduka said I should keep wearing the bandages for awhile and then Mama could remove the stitches. But Dr. Nduka told me to be careful while showering, exercising, et cetera to make sure the stitches didn't come loose.

After I took a shower, I changed into a t-shirt and jeans and then went downstairs for breakfast.

Douglas asked me, "Want me to fix you your favorite breakfast, Master Prince?"

My favorite breakfast is strawberry pancakes with maple syrup and turkey bacon. I wasn't surprised I had a choice even though we usually eat what Douglas and the chefs have written on the chalkboard menu. But since I had survived a brush with death, I knew I'd be treated as a charity case for awhile.

So I told Douglas, "That would be great, Douglas. Thank you."

After breakfast, I went outside and climbed the Giving Tree so I could read a book. Usually I work at an animal shelter in LA and the Crenshaw Rec Center when I'm home in California. But I don't think my parents wanted me working until after my graduation.

Then my cell phone rang again and the caller ID said it was Duke. I answered my cell and asked, "What's happening, Duke?"

Duke exclaimed, "Dude, _you're_ what's happening! I hope you appreciate all the marching and protesting we've done for you and Soludo! God knows the slaughter of our people has to stop! Well, maybe this time we'll _finally_ see justice since you and Soludo aren't hood rats. Y'all were bougie Blacks with big plans for the future. Your records are squeaky clean and you're good men."

I said, "But the defense could still use my family's dysfunctional past, my martial arts skills, and my unconventional past as leverage against me."

Duke said, "We have to think positive. And I'm positive Officer Byrd is gonna go to jail for murder."

I said, "His lawyers might try to numb down the charges to murder without malice/manslaughter but Ethan said he heard his dad ranting about how he was gonna show all those Black hoodlums who were robbing restaurants and selling drugs some real justice. Captain Richmond, a Black woman who works for the Dallas PD, also said she heard Officer Byrd planning to take down any guilty Blacks he could find."

Duke said, "That totally counts as planning to kill someone with malice afterthought which means Soludo's death counts as first-degree murder. And Officer Byrd's attack against you counts as attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Any chance racial profiling can be added to the list of charges?"

I said, "DA Watkins will do the best he can."

There are several ways I relax and unwind. I play music, practice martial arts, go for jogs, play basketball or baseball, help take care of the animals, and paint pictures. I couldn't bring myself to play the guitar, the bass, the drums, the keyboards, or the trumpet because it would remind me of playing with Soludo. I had no problem doing push-ups and sit-ups and lifting weights in order to stay in shape. But practicing martial arts didn't tickle my fancy since society thinks _all_ Blacks are threats and my mastery of ninjutsu isn't helping with that stereotype. I couldn't run fast enough to escape my problems. Soludo stunk at basketball, baseball, and every sport on Earth so shooting hoops and throwing pitches would cause me to instinctively look for him on the sidelines, cheering me on. So I decided to head on down to the zoo and look after the animals.

While I was brushing the llamas' fur, the zookeepers asked me, "I know you're not alright, Mr. Prince, but we all want to make sure you haven't been beaten down."

I told them, "Joseph says that when life knocks you down, you have to get back up. You have to be strong to make it through this crazy world."

Animals are often better company than humans since they're not judgmental nor are they destructive. Ma and Dad think animals have the purest of spirits and I agree. Animals do what God created them to do. They're not scheming up ways to destroy their own species or the planet. Unfortunately, veterinarians still don't get as much respect as physicians and I want to help right this wrong. Every living creature on God's Earth is important.

I didn't leave the Santa Ynez Valley until June 12, when we flew on our private jet from Los Angeles to my commencement ceremony. I remembered back in 2004, when I had to decide which school's undergrad program I wanted to enroll in. I had applied to UC Davis, Cornell University, Florida A&M, Ohio State, Michigan State, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Atlanta A&T. By the grace of God, I had been accepted by all seven schools!

Paris, Duke, Saint, EJ, and Kevin were all in my bedroom, wanting to hear what my final choice would be. On a whiteboard I had written the names of the seven schools I had been accepted to.

Saint said, "I know you're gonna go to Cornell. That's Ivy League, rich White folks' school. It's also perfect for smart and ambitious brothers like yourself."

I had told Saint, "Thanks for the kind words but Cornell is not my top choice."

Duke asked, "Say what now?"

I explained, "Cornell, Florida A&M, and UC Davis have Animal Science majors. Animal science deals with the science of domesticated animals, such as cows, horses, and sheep. But Ohio State, Michigan State, UW-Madison, and Atlanta A&T have Animal Science _and_ Zoology majors."

Saint asked, "How is zoology different from animal science?"

I said, "I'm glad you asked that question, Saint. Zoology deals with the science of _all_ animals, wild and domesticated."

EJ said, "Oh, I get it. Atlanta A&T and the three Midwestern Public Ivies offer the widest round of animal biological study."

I said, "Yeah, pretty much."

I crossed out UC Davis, Cornell, and Florida A&M from the whiteboard. That left Ohio State, Michigan State, UW-Madison, and Atlanta A&T.

Paris said, "We love Mama but I know you want to create a name for yourself and try to distance yourself from the family name. You want to create your own achievements and legacy. So I know Atlanta A&T is going to be crossed off the list."

I said, "That's right." I crossed off Atlanta A&T.

Saint said, "We're down to the final three. Which Public Ivy will Prince choose?"

Paris said, "Ohio State has one of the top vet schools in the country."

Duke said, "Magic Johnson played ball for Michigan State."

Kevin said, "Prince wants to be a vet, not a b-baller. UW-Madison is ranked highest among the three Ivies, that much I know."

I said, "Ohio State, Michigan State, and UW-Madison all have great programs. Not only is UW-Madison ranked highest among the three, it has high research activity and the twelfth largest library in North America. Steenbock Memorial Library is the primary library for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, School of Human Ecology, School of Veterinary Medicine, and the Zoology Department. UW-Madison's Zoological Museum maintains a collection of approximately five hundred thousand zoological specimens, which can be used for research and instruction."

Paris asked, "Is it safe to say UW-Madison is your final choice?"

I smiled and said, "Yes, it is."

My sister and my friends clapped while Duke cheered, "Winner of the match, University of Wisconsin-Madison!"

I was hoping Mama wouldn't be heartbroken when I announced that I wasn't going to her alma mater. But Mama said her dream has always been for us kids to follow our own dreams. So my parents supported my choice 100%.

Dan, Rupert, Tom, Emma, and Jo wanted to come to my commencement as well. Getting them extra tickets was no problem; since Mr. and Dr. Nduka won't see Soludo get his degree, they gave me their tickets. They said I could use them to invite more friends or family members. So I had five extra tickets in addition to the tickets I had for my parents and my siblings.

When I packed my Alpha suit and tie, Rupert asked, "Is there gonna be a frat party for the Alphas who are graduating?"

I said, "Yes, along with other members of the Divine Nine. Plus, Gideon and I received e-mails to wear our Alpha suits and Hakim received an e-mail to wear his Kappa suit. Our graduation gowns will cover most of our suits except for the ties. The black and gold ties will let everyone know how many Alphas are graduating on Saturday. Then, after the commencement ceremony, we head to the place the frats and sororities booked for the party."

Rupert exclaimed, "Alright! Are friends and family allowed to come?"

I said, "Yeah, friends and family are allowed to come."

Rupert said, "Sweet!"

The flight from LA to Madison, Wisconsin was five and a half hours long. Driving from LA to Madison and vice versa takes thirty hours, which my family's security team have never tried to drive all at once. It usually takes two or three days to drive from California to Wisconsin.

My parents had booked us rooms at the Hampton Inn & Suites Madison/Downtown. The hotel has a free hot breakfast, an indoor pool, a fitness center, and a business center. So everyone would be comfortable and entertained before and after my commencement.

On Saturday morning, I put on my Alpha suit. Tremaine knocked on my door and asked, "Need a hand with your tie?"

I had learned how to tie a tie years ago but I knew my big brother was just trying to be helpful. I said, "Yeah, Tremaine. Can you help me with this?"

Tremaine tied my tie into a Half Windsor knot and said, "I know you're sad that Soludo isn't here but we all want you to enjoy this day."

I said, "I will. My family and the rest of my college friends are here."

Tremaine said, "Good."

At commencement, I saw Donnie and Hakim. I said, "Fellas, we did it! We crossed a milestone and we'll be crossing many more."

Donnie said, "That's right, my man!"

Hakim said, "You got it, dude!"

We found Gideon and Jasmine and we chatted awhile until we had to be seated. We all sat in the sections our schools and colleges were assigned to; Animal Sciences is a major of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences while Zoology is a major of the School of Letters & Sciences. Gideon and I had decided to sit with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences so that Jasmine wouldn't be lonely. Our degrees were on our seats.

The Chancellor, Board of Regents' President, and the university President all made speeches about the great work we had done, how the sky was the limit for us, et cetera. I felt like this was reminiscent of the countless other commencement speeches they had given over the years. But the feeling was real, so I applauded with everyone else. Then our departments were called alphabetically and we all stood. When the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences was called, my family and friends all cheered and hollered for me. I smiled, gave a peace sign, and then sat back down with my hard-earned degree.

After commencement, Donnie, Hakim, Gideon, my family, my friends, and I all headed to the hotel hall the Divine Nine had booked for the party. For the record, only six of the Nine have chapters at UW-Madison: Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta (which is also my sister China's sorority), and Zeta Phi Beta. Of course, my family and friends were swamped by my frat brothers and Divine Nine members since autographs are always in demand. China chatted with her fellow Deltas for most of the evening. While the deejay spun the tunes, Gideon and I did some stepping with the rest of our crew. The Gamma Epsilon chapter of the Alphas had won the state stepping championship two years in a row. I hoped that the Alphas would win the competition next year so that we'd have a three-peat. In case you're wondering if I helped choreograph the routine, yes I did contribute. I'm a Jackson and my dad and Aunt Janet are the best dancers in the world. Saint is also a skilled breakdancer and he and his crew have taught me some moves over the year.

Hasani Washington, the president of the Gamma Epsilon chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, gave a speech congratulating all the Divine Nine members who had graduated. Then Deon Morrison, the president of the Beta Omicron chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, asked for a moment of silence for the Kappas' slain brother, Soludo. For the record, Deon has a BS in Biology and Biochemistry and has been a student at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison for two years now. Hasani has a BA in African Cultural Studies and Afro-American Studies and is working towards his PhD in African Cultural Studies. His fiancée, Crystal Richardson, has a BA in Animal Sciences and a minor in Zoology, will be entering her second year of vet school in September, and is a member of the Zetas. Their wedding is the one I'll be attending in July.

Things got funny when Tom answered Emma's cell while she was in the washroom. He said, "Hi, Mr. Watson...Where is Emma?...Oh, she and the rest of us are at a frat party."

I could hear Mr. Watson yelling even though the cell wasn't on speaker. Emma came out of the washroom and asked Tom, "Who's calling me?"

Tom said, "Your dad. I just told him that we're at a frat party."

Emma grabbed the phone out of his hand while Tom gave a mischievous smirk. Emma said, "Daddy, nothing inappropriate is happening here. This party is properly chaperoned."

I said, "Yeah, by adult brothers of the frats."

Emma slapped my arm and said, "Daddy, you don't need to worry about me. I'm not a little girl anymore."

Jasmine said, "Yeah, you aren't. You turned eighteen two months ago. That means you don't need chaperones anymore and you can make your own decisions."

Emma told Jasmine, "You're right, Jazz." Then Emma repeated what Jazz said to her dad. This has me wondering about my parents. Will they be okay with me living on the East Coast? Will they constantly be worried about my safety? Will Uncle Mike, Auntie Lisa, and Uncle Kel be visiting me every week? I don't want to be the only vet student with constant babysitters.

Man, my life was never normal. But now it seemed to be spiraling out of control.


	19. Chapter 19

When we flew home two days later, Ma finally decided to remove my stitches. I sat on my bed while she carefully cut the stitches with her special scissors. When she removed them, we both saw that I had scars on my left abdomen and my left leg. We both knew I'd have them for the rest of my life. But scars are a small price to pay for living.

Ma said, "Sweetie, your scars don't look too bad. Plus, since you'll be wearing a shirt and pants over them most of the time, most people won't notice."

I said, "When I wear long pants, people won't notice my leg scars. When I wear shorts, they definitely will. If I go swimming with a shirt, people won't notice my abdomen scars. But if I swim bare-chested, they definitely will."

Ma said, "Honey, you _always_ swim with a shirt, just like your daddy."

I said, "I don't like the idea of girls and LGBT folks staring at my bare chest. Girls, gays, and bisexual folks throw themselves at me almost everyday. I'm getting tired of people's lust towards me and their advances although you know I feel love for all kinds of people."

Ma said, "I know, Prince. When you meet the right one, your brain and your heart will let you know."

A great way for any person to unwind at Neverland is by climbing to the top of the hill. From the top, a person can see the entire ranch. It looks absolutely beautiful at night when all the lights are lit. So, I climbed the top of the hill, sat down, took out a zoology book, and started reading. My brain was focused on the material but I still noticed when my dad climbed to the top; it's gotten much harder for people to sneak up on me because of how well honed my instincts are.

Dad asked, "Can I join you?"

I said, "Sure."

Dad sat next to me and asked, "Are you healing alright?"

I said, "I guess."

Dad asked, "Are you ready to leave the Santa Ynez Valley and rejoin the rest of the world?"

I said, "I left the Valley when we flew to Madison for my commencement."

Dad said, "That's not what I mean. When you first came home, you didn't just not go to LA. You didn't even step foot in Santa Barbara. Now, you have friends there and I'm sure Kevin was heartbroken when he had to tell his cousins why you wouldn't come into the city. You're not planning on hiding here until the fall semester starts, are you?"

I said, "Of course not! I want to go to LA and catch up with my friends and my work but now I'm afraid of what a cop will do to me when he sees me riding my Mustang."

Dad said, "You and I have been racially profiled before."

I said, "Yeah, but it could turn out worse. The LAPD might try to kill me to ensure I can't testify to the grand jury." Then Dad laughed and I exclaimed, "Dad, it's not funny! I'm being serious!"

Dad stated, "Then act serious, Prince! You're too smart to come to a dumb conclusion! If cops do see you, they'll do their best to treat you like a human being because they don't want to end up like Officer Byrd. In fact, the LAPD will be working above and beyond the call of duty to patch relations between them and South LA."

I asked, "So, I've helped inspire change in an unusual way?"

Dad said, "Yes, I believe you have. I also believe the people of South LA need your voice and spirit now more than ever before."

I said, "Just because I got shot doesn't mean I'm going to be the next Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela or Malcolm X or Huey Newton."

Dad said, "I know. You're the one and only Prince Jackson."

Later, after Dad left, Mama joined me at the top of the hill. She told me, "You weren't breathing properly when you were born."

I had heard this story a million times. My parents tell the story of my birth when they want to explain to us kids why it's important to continue following God's path.

Mama continued and said, "They took you to the NICU. You were out in a short amount of time since your respiratory ailment wasn't too serious. One of the nurses told me, 'You can do everything right and things may still not go as planned. The trick is never stop doing right.'"

I said, "I know, Ma. That means that you still want me to remain your good baby boy and tell the truth about what happened. You don't want me to lie to the grand jury, even though Officer Byrd might. You also don't want me to give off the wrong message that attacking and killing cops is the best way to avenge Soludo's death. If I continue to do right, God will reward me justly."

Mama hugged me, kissed the top of my head, and said, "That's my son."

When I want to paint, I go to a secluded and quiet part of the estate. I'm surrounded by the beauty of nature and God's flora and fauna. Nature is a major focus of my artwork but I decided to create a series of paintings inspired by dreams I had been having that would probably freak out my parents and siblings if they knew. I had been having dreams that took me back in time. I saw a little Black boy strapped to an electric chair and screaming when the volts of electricity went through his brain. I saw another Black boy being beaten by two White men and then thrown into a river. I saw a Black teen getting out of a car, running away from a cop, and the cops shooting him in the back. I saw a Black teenage girl arguing with a Korean woman and punching her a few time. When the Black girl turned around and tried to leave, the Korean woman shot her in the back of the head.

These Blacks kids were named George Stinney Jr., Emmett Till, Matthew Johnson Jr., and Latasha Harlins. George Stinney was executed in South Carolina in 1944 for killing two White girls. Emmett Till was murdered by J. W. Milam and Roy Bryant for allegedly whistling at Roy Bryant's wife in 1955. Matthew Johnson was murdered by a San Francisco police officer for stealing a car in 1967. Latasha Harlins was murdered by Soon Ja Du thirteen days after Rodney King was beaten by the LAPD. None of these kids received justice for their brutal deaths. There's a good chance Soludo and I won't get justice but I won't stop trying.

Then I decided to start painting Soludo, since he's the victim I'm closest to. My photographic memory could recall his smile, his drum playing, his dance moves (which thankfully got better after I gave him some lessons). I painted a picture of Soludo in his Badger Band uniform playing his drum, in his Kappa suit and tie, and in a surgeon's outfit. Obviously, Soludo would never wear the surgeon's outfit in real life but this painting shows what could have been. Hey, that's what I'll call it: _What Could Have Been_.

I was painting a picture of George Stinney next when Emma asked me, "Whatcha doin'?"

I had heard footsteps approaching me from behind and I knew that no cops or gangsters could get at me while I was in my parents' estate. I figured someone would come to check on me.

I told Emma, "Painting pictures of the deceased."

Emma looked at the painting and said, "George Stinney in the electric chair." She looked at George closer and said, "His eyes are full of sorrow, as to be expected, but I can't help feeling like I've seen these exact eyes before."

I explained, "They're John Coffey's eyes. John Coffey's eyes reflect the sorrow he has over the darkness prevalent in the world. I imagine George wasn't just sad about the injustice meted out to him but to all other Black people in the past, present, and future."

Emma said, "You're gifted at so many things, Prince. You should definitely try to get some of your paintings into an art gallery."

I asked Emma, "You really think they're that good?"

Emma said, "Of course. Maybe your paintings will help give visibility to the invisible."

I said, "Poetic." I then saw Emma get that look on her face, the one where she wanted to say something but wasn't sure if people would even listen to her. Even though Emma is a natural orator, a lot of people find her talking annoying. But I never have.

I said, "Emma, if you want to say something, I'm all ears."

Emma said, "You're pretty much one of the handful of guys who likes to listen to my chattering."

I said, "That's because you make a lot of sense."

Emma sighed and said, "Okay, here it is. On my eighteenth birthday, some guys stuck their phones under my dress and took pictures of my panties."

I exclaimed, "Say what?!" I almost ruined George's electric chair but I was sure some touch-up paint would cover the smear. I exclaimed, "That's sexual harassment, that's sexual abuse, that's sexism, that's just sick!"

Emma stated, "I know, Prince. For the record, if they had tried to take those pictures the day before, even a minute before midnight of April fifteenth, 2008, they would have gotten in serious trouble for sexually abusing and sexually harassing a minor. But I wasn't a minor as soon as the clock struck midnight on April fifteenth, 2008. Despite all my fame and accolades, I'm still nothing more and nothing less than a sex symbol to some people."

I said, "Well, I know who and what you are and a sex symbol isn't on either of those lists. Any chances charges can be brought against those sickos?"

Emma shrugged and explained, "I didn't get good enough looks at the guys. But there may be others who will take their sexual harassment to the next level. Those self-defense lessons your sister gave me will definitely come in handy."

I said, "I'm sorry for what happened to you but not as sorry as the next sicko who pulls a dirty trick like that on my watch."

Emma laughed and hugged me. Blacks aren't the only invisible people in society. Girls and women are also invisible. Even Blacks and females who are celebrities still aren't given the respect they deserve.

I finally decided to go to LA and check out what was going down in the hoods of South LA.

I told my friends, "I miss the community center, I miss the zoo, I miss the City of Angels."

My siblings, Dan, Rupert, Tom, Emma, and I all took a helicopter from Neverland to LA. From there, we were driven to South LA in Tremaine's and Skye's cars.

When I walked into the community center in Crenshaw, I asked, "Where are the summer school kids?"

I was greeted with a smile from Karima as she said, "In their usual room."

You see, after I started tutoring Saint and Simba, their friends started crowding into the Strongs' living room. But soon there wasn't enough room and I could tell we were about to drive Mr. Strong insane.

Mrs. Strong suggested, "Why don't you set up a tutoring program at the Crenshaw community center? There'll be lots more room and lots of grown-ups to help out."

But the boys and girls complained that the tutoring service wasn't great at the community center and that the adults didn't know what they were doing. So Paris and I checked out the community center and, sure enough, it was as awful as the kids described. It was underfunded and understaffed. The kids had discipline issues and most of the staff were under-qualified to work with kids. So, we convinced our parents to donate some much needed funds to the community center and we were able to get better qualified staff.

Now, during the summers, I tutor the kids here. I work at the community center on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. On Saturdays, Mondays, and Tuesdays, I work at an animal shelter.

School was out and there are always some kids stuck in summer school. When kids are put in summer school, that's usually the first sign kids receive that they're dumb. But that's far from true. They usually need extra help to understand the work or they have bad study habits. I help them out, try to show them a high school diploma and even a college degree are very real possibilities.

After work, Duke told me to come to his house, saying there was someone there who wanted to meet me. I had a feeling who would be at the Bloombergs' house.

When we all walked into the Bloombergs' living room, I saw the man, and said, "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. King."

Rodney King stood up, shook my hand, and said, "No, it's an honor to meet _you_ , Mr. Jackson."

I said, "Please, just call me Prince."

Then my siblings and friends greeted him as well. Emma said, "I had a feeling we'd meet you sooner or later, Mr. King."

Mr. King said, "I know y'all are the Harry Potter kids because I've seen your pictures on all those movie posters and trailers. But I've never seen any of the movies."

Tom said, "Then you're missing out."

Paris said, "We all have the Harry Potter films at our movie theater in Neverland. You can watch them if you want to."

I decided to tell Duke and Rodney King everything that happened that night. I'm sure they had seen the security tape but I still had to tell my side of the story. I didn't expect Mr. King to tell us about the night of March 3, 1991, but he recalled it like it happened yesterday.

Mr. King said, "At first, the cops frisked me for drugs or weapons. For one blessed second, the angle of my body obscured the officers' sight line of my left hand and that made them extremely suspicious and nervous. Melanie Singer approached me with her gun while I was laying down on the ground. Then Sergeant Stacey C. Koon told her to stop and back away. Singer claims that the cops pounced on me and tried to arrest me. But one of the officers kicked me with his boot and broke my jaw! Another officer slammed me in the lower leg with his baton. The officer who kicked me asked me how I felt and I said, 'I feel fine.'

"I spit out a mouthful of blood and the cops must have taken that as a defiant gesture. I was hit with multiple baton blows to every part of my body. When George Holliday started taping, he got me at the beginning of me trying to escape. But I couldn't go anywhere because my ankle was broken. I also thought I pissed my pants, which was the cherry of my embarrassment. But when I pulled my hand away from my nuts I could see that they weren't wet from urine, but were soaked in my blood! That's why my pants felt all wet and so heavy. My life was bleeding out of me. Somebody's boot slammed my face into the street and my whole body shook violently in a horrible spasm. That's because Officer Koon had just sent fifty thousand volts through my body with a Taser shock!

"I was put away in the Los Angeles County Jail after my run-in with the cops. I spent three days before I was released. Thankfully, no charges were filed against me even though I had been speeding and driving while drunk. Before I was put in jail, I was put in the hospital. When my mother came, she didn't even recognize me. The doctors cut off my bloody jeans and I put them in a bag, planning to use them and my other bloody clothes as evidence of my beating. But a Black female cop told me I didn't have to hand in my clothes. She said someone taped the attack. It took awhile for that to sink in and I cried at the horrible and wonderful news.

"But on April twenty-ninth, 1992, the jurors declared that all four cops were not guilty. But the cops' defense counsel told the jury that my injuries weren't that serious and that I was a tall, muscular, imposing man that scared police and had to be taken down. At some point, this reasoning all sank in, and I was sunk. The George Holliday tape seemed to have no impact on the jury. Maybe since they has seen it so many times, the video just lost its effect.

"I'm not the only person who was robbed justice. Latasha Harlins, Amadou Diallo, Roger Owensby Junior, Timothy DeWayne Thomas Junior, Henry Glover, Sean Elijah Bell, have all been robbed of justice. Justice wasn't in the cards for them but I'm hoping it might be in the cards for you and Soludo."

Because we aren't from the hood. Because we didn't use drugs or alcohol. Because we went to college and were on our way to medical school and vet school in the fall. Because our parents have more money in their bank accounts than most cops will see in five lifetimes. Because we don't fit the stereotype.

Rodney King fit the stereotype along with many other victims of police brutality and racist attacks. Rodney King made mistakes but his life still matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this chapter on Michael Jackson's 62nd Birthday.  
> People ask if MJ would have marched with the BLM Movement. I believe that if he were still alive, he would have. In this universe, MJ will definitely become one of BLM's biggest supporters along with his son.


	20. Chapter 20

I woke up on the morning of July 7, 2008 to Mos Def's music. I had set my alarm on my cell to play "Umi Says." Mos Def would remind me of what my family and friends have said for years and also what Bob Marley said: "Light up the darkness."

My parents, my siblings, my in-laws, Uncle Isaac, Jo, Dan, Rupert, Tom, and Emma would all accompany me to the courthouse. The day was grand jury day. Time to see if I'll fail Soludo and myself seven weeks after I lost one of my closest friends.

Seven weeks, the seventh day of the seventh month, and I'm a child of Grandma and Joseph's seventh (living) child. Seven is a magic and holy number. It pops up _all the time_ in the Harry Potter books and movies and in other fantasy novels as well. Nick and Erykah Badu named their sons Seven in order to ensure their well-being and success no matter what life throws at them. Seven is also my dad's favorite number since it's popped up plenty of times in his life. He's even had 7s sewn into some of his clothes. The number seven should ensure that this grand jury meeting will turn out well but seven can result in good or bad fortune. Gideon told me that seven is a ghost number in Chinese culture.

We were all staying at Dallas' Ritz-Carlton hotel. The Ritz-Carlton has great rooms, a pool, a hot tub, great breakfast, a relaxing spa, a diverse bar, a stylish vibe, and friendly employees. We had all flown into Dallas via private jet the day after Independence Day. It felt like a joke to celebrate Independence Day since people like me and my family are still being given the short end of the stick even when we've supposedly already achieved the American Dream. Well, Soludo's dreams may be over but I'll work hard to make sure no one else's dreams are ended as a result of police brutality.

I ordered breakfast via room service: pancakes with scrambled eggs and a cup of tea. The only bacon they have is the pork kind since Texans love their red meat. After I ate, I brushed my teeth and took a shower. After my shower, I put on a suede shirt, an Armani jacket and pants, a Versace vest and tie, and Gucci loafers. I was able to tie my tie and I looked at myself in the mirror.

Today, I'd have to be the man in the mirror, just like my dad's song. If the grand jury indicts Henry Byrd, then I'll have to be the man in the mirror again five months to a year from now. Now, DA Watkins had told me what facing the grand jury would be like. He's been a prosecuting and defense attorney in many grand jury cases. He explained, "A Texas grand jury doesn't determine a defendant’s guilt or innocence. It only determines if sufficient evidence exists to move forward with a formal criminal case and trial of a specific defendant for a specific crime. People who are the subject of grand jury proceedings have the right to have the attorney of their choice represent them throughout the grand jury process. Similar to ordinary trial jury duty, the members of the grand jury are chosen at random for grand jury service from the roll of registered voters in the county where the grand jury is to be seated."

DA Watkins said the grand jury will be comprised of a dozen people. DA Watkins will ask me to recount what happened on May 19, 2008. The grand jury may also ask questions and will take notes. There won't be a judge, like a normal trial.

My family and I got into one of the limos my parents rented while the Brits got into the second limo. I can't help thinking that even though I have so much love and support from so many people they can't go into the grand jury room with me and the DA. We soon got to the courthouse, which is a different one than the one DA Watkins works in. News vans and trucks are parked across the street from the courthouse. Police barricades separated us from everyone else. There were lots of protestors holding up signs that say, **NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE** and **JUSTICE FOR SAP**. Plenty of folks were also wearing **RIP SOLUDO** t-shirts and one man was even waving the Pan-African flag.

No one can see my eyes because I'm wearing sunglasses, just like my dad and Tremaine. I'm not sure if I'll be wearing these all the time in public since my face has become as recognizable as my dad's. I hope I become famous for other things in the future besides a symbol of police brutality. Now I understand why Rodney King shunned the public light for years. Who wants to constantly be reminded of the worst day of their life?

To avoid the protestors and the media circus, the chauffeur turns onto the street alongside the courthouse. We all got out of the limos and entered through a side door. Security checked us for weapons and contraband but all this security reminds me of the countless times I've been stopped and frisked by cops. Then another security guard led us through the courthouse. The farther we go, the fewer people we encounter. Then we saw DA Watkins, the Ndukas, the Richmonds, Mrs. Reed, Mr. Gonzalez, and Ethan were waiting for us near a door that said **GRAND JURY ROOM**.

DA Watkins shook my hand and asked, "Are you ready?"

I replied, "As I'll ever be."

DA Watkins said, "Only witnesses, Prince, and myself are allowed inside. And only family can watch the proceedings in the security guards' TV room."

Rupert said, "Come on, that's not fair."

Tom explained, "We're practically family."

Emma said, "Good thing I brought some books to occupy myself."

Everyone gave me hugs and wished me luck.

Dan said, "You've always been one of the bravest guys I've ever met."

I don't always feel like a brave guy but Dan plays a Gryffindor so he knows what bravery looks like. I said, "Thanks, Dan."

DA Watkins led me inside. The room had wood-paneled walls and no windows, making it seem almost like a dungeon. Twelve men and women occupy a table at the front. A judge doesn't run grand jury proceedings, the prosecutor does. That means DA Watkins is running the show here. Six of the jurors are white, four are Black, and two are Latino. Six minorities. I wonder if they'll automatically be on my side.

I then noticed that Officer Henry Byrd had come in along with his brother, George Byrd. They sat on the other side of the room from me; Officer Henry Byrd looked miserable. From what Ethan had told me over the phone, plenty of other folks had decided to punish his dad for what he did to me and Soludo. A lot of folks glare at him when he's outside, some stores refuse his business, and there have even been threats on his life. DA Watkins explained that defendants often set up a defense presentation in the form of a written statement. Written statements are said to be better than oral statements and testimonies. Defendants' attorneys are not normally allowed inside the grand jury hearing with the defendant but can be present nearby to advise and instruct the defendant. That explains why George Byrd is here, to help and advise his brother.

Next, DA Watkins swore me in. I put my hand on the Bible, raised my other hand, and was asked, "Do you promise to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

I said, "I do."

I sat in front of the jurors and DA Watkins asked me, "Can you tell the grand jury your name and age?"

I replied into the mic, "My name is Prince Richard Jackson. I'm twenty years old and I'll be twenty-one on January fifteenth."

DA Watkins asked, "You came here of your own free will?"

I said, "Yes, sir."

DA Watkins asked, "You understand that I'm the prosecuting attorney in this case?"

I replied, "Yes."

DA Watkins asked, "You understand that you're not the focus of any criminal charges?"

I said, "Yes," but thought, _Bullshit! Soludo and I have been on trial since the day he was murdered._

DA Watkins then turned to the grand jury and explained, "We are gathered here today to determine whether or not Officer Henry Byrd of the Dallas Police Department should be charged with the following crimes: murder with malice, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, reckless endangerment, and obstruction of justice. The state of Texas is attempting to prove that Soludo Nduka was murdered on May nineteenth, 2008, as a result of murder, assault, reckless endangerment, obstruction of justice/police brutality. The state of Texas is attempting to prove that Prince Jackson was almost murdered and sent to the hospital for nine days as a result of attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment, obstruction of justice/police brutality."

DA Watkins turned to me and said, "Please explain to the grand jury in detail what happened on May nineteenth, 2008, in your own words, Mr. Jackson."

Soludo is counting on me along with my family, my friends, my classmates, and every person of color on the planet. I now have a chance to end this cycle of fear and hatred that has already taken the lives of many and the sanity of the survivors.

So I tell the grand jury about the night I lost my friend in excruciating detail. The jurors asked DA Watkins a lot of questions which DA Watkins then asked me. Were Soludo and I planning to rob Taco Bell? Did Soludo plan to use his wrench as a weapon? Had Soludo ever used a wrench as a weapon? Did Soludo have access to guns? Did Soludo or I ever threaten Officer Byrd's life? Did Officer Byrd seem angry?

I gave DA Watkins and the grand jury every excruciating detail.

Then one of the White male grand jurors asked me, "What's your parents' net worth?"

I was surprised by this question but I answered truthfully, "One point seventy-five billion dollars."

One of the female White jurors said, "Wow."

One of the Black male jurors asked me, "Is it true you have a bachelor's degree?"

I said, "Yes, I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science and Zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I'll be attending vet school at the University of Pennsylvania in the fall."

A White male juror asked me, "Has UW-Madison given your parents honorary doctorates or degrees?"

I said, "No."

He asked, "Has the University of Pennsylvania given your parents honorary doctorates or degrees?"

I said, "No."

Some of the White jurors looked confused while the six Blacks and Latinos nodded in approval. I knew why the White jurors were confused. I don't fit the stereotype. I'm not a member of an urban working-class family but the Black bourgeoisie. There's no reason why I would try to rob a store since I must have a trust fund, an inheritance entitled in my parents' will, and will be attending an Ivy League school. But the White jurors seem to want to discredit me; they're trying to see if the only reason I got into college was because of my parents. But my parents can't influence every person on Earth and they can't open every door for me and siblings. I've learned to open my own doors and create my own opportunities.

A Black female juror asked, "What is your GPA and what was your SAT score?"

I replied, "I have a four point oh GPA, I scored fifteen-hundred on the SAT, and a thirty-five on the ACT. I submitted my ACT scores to the undergraduate programs I applied to in 2003."

Once again, the Blacks and Latinos nodded in approval. Some of the White jurors' eyes looked like they would pop out. They were astonished by my intelligence. They, like so many others, underestimated me.

DA Watkins showed the grand jury copies of my report cards, my SAT and ACT scores, and my GRE results.

Then DA Watkins called in Mr. Gonzalez to explain to the grand jury what Soludo and I did at Taco Bell. Mr. Gonzalez told the grand jury what we ate and that he didn't see us as threats. He explains that the security camera lets his employees and himself monitor people outside. When thugs want to rob the restaurant, they put on masks or bandannas, take out their guns, and stick the place up. Since Soludo and I never wore masks or stuck guns in the employees' faces, they didn't see us as threats. Mr. Gonzalez also mentioned that thugs don't eat dinner and then rob a place. They rob the place first and take some food if they're hungry.

Mrs. Reed came in next and testified about my injuries that she had treated with first-aid. She explained to the grand jury that if I hadn't gotten to the hospital in time I would have also died. Then a medical examiner came in and gave medical records that showed in detail the damage Officer Byrd's bullets did to my rib, lung, and left leg. He also showed the medical records the morgue had recorded about Soludo. Soludo died as a result of three bullets that punctured his lungs. The doctors at the morgue stated that he died shortly after Officer Byrd shot him.

Mr. Nduka came in and testified that Soludo was his son. He explained to the grand jury that Soludo had attended St. Mark's since he started seventh grade, was a straight-A student, and scored 1480 on the SAT. Mr. Nduka also stated that Soludo continued to achieve a straight-A average at UW-Madison, majored in neuroscience and minored in psychology, and had planned to go to Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee in order to study neurosurgery.

Captain Richmond and Assistant Chief Hawthorne came in and testified against Officer Byrd. They gave police reports that were filed against Officer Byrd in relation to racial profiling. They also said that they had heard him planning on attacking and/or murdering any thugs he encountered after hearing about the restaurant robberies.

Ethan testified against his father and played tapes of Officer Byrd saying racist comments about Blacks, Latinos, and Native-Americans. Ethan explained that he never wanted to invite his Black and Latino friends to his house because he knew his father would insult them.

The grand jurors asked if there was any more evidence. Then DA Watkins played the security tape of that night. The tape matched up with the story and the grand jury watched it like they were watching an action-thriller. Now, I hadn't looked at Officer Byrd since I came into the grand jury room because I had been instructed not to. Mama said that when she, her siblings, and Aunt Charlene integrated Atlanta's public schools, they were told not to look at the mob of angry White people who wanted to lynch them. But I looked at Officer Byrd while the tape played and his face didn't display much emotion except for his eyes. They widened in surprise; I'm guessing he didn't recognize himself since they were using his own words and actions against him.

After the tape was played, DA Watkins asked Officer Byrd if he had a defense presentation. Then Officer Byrd said, "My lawyer will present my defense."

DA Watkins nodded in agreement. George Byrd stood up and went to face the grand jury. He then read the written statement his brother had signed. Officer Byrd couldn't say the same lies he had told his wife and son. So he wrote that he was scared for his life and for the lives of the employees in the Taco Bell. He stated that Soludo and I were intimidating and looked like we could do serious harm to people with or without a gun. So when he saw what he thought was a gun, Officer Byrd shot first and asked questions later.

Most of the jurors had frowns of disapproval but a few had sympathetic looks. I'm not sure who they were angry at or sympathetic towards. The jurors asked George Byrd about his brother's background and how he had interacted with people of color over the years. George Byrd admitted that his brother was a troubled youth but that his time with the Army helped change him.

He then said, "My brother was just trying to do his job. He just wanted to go home to his wife and son."

A White male juror asked, "You mean the same wife who kicked him out? The same son that presented evidence against his father? The same wife filing for divorce?"

I couldn't see George Byrd's face but I could tell by the inflection of his voice that he was nervous. He said, "Despite how hotheaded and rebellious his wife and son are, my brother still loves them very dearly." Does George Byrd and his brother really believe that Ethan and his mom will welcome his brother back into their lives? DA Watkins was right; the fact that Ethan and Mrs. Byrd have turned their backs on him is helping out the prosecution.

A Black male juror asked, "What about all the other people he's racially profiled? The Black and Latino drivers he believes were stealing luxury cars that actually belonged to them?"

George Byrd said, "My brother has to rely on his instincts a lot."

The Black male juror said, "Clearly, he has horrible instincts."

The grand jury asked George Byrd more questions and George Byrd had to talk to his brother to get some of the answers. Finally, the grand jury said they had no more questions for George Byrd and his brother.

DA Watkins said, "This grand jury meeting is adjourned."

Then George Byrd escorted his brother outside and the jurors all filed out as well. I just sat in my chair, wondering if my words and my voice had been powerful enough. Dad's words have always been powerful. So have Mama's. Jo's words are now the most successful best-selling book series in world history. Dr. King, Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, John F. Kennedy, and Bobby Kennedy also had powerful words. But the latter five were all assassinated; JFK was assassinated right here in Dallas and his little brother was assassinated in Los Angeles almost twenty-three years before Rodney King was beaten by the LAPD.

DA Watkins asked me, "Are you feeling alright, Prince?"

I said, "Not really."

DA Watkins said, "Come on. Let's show your loved ones you're alright."

Mama and Dad were right outside the grand jury room. They must have left the TV room after the meeting was adjourned. They immediately hugged me and told me, "You did your best and we couldn't ask for more."

I told them, "Thanks, Ma and Dad."

Then we met up with everyone else and they asked me how it went. DA Watkins stated, "Witnesses, members of the grand jury, prosecutors, and other participants are not allowed to discuss or reveal publicly any part of the testimony, the evidence, or the general existence of the proceedings. Secrecy over grand jury proceedings is intended to promote the willingness of witnesses to freely testify and to protect the privacy and reputation of potential felony case defendants before formal charges are authorized."

Rupert sarcastically said, "You must be a real hit at parties, DA Watkins."

I told everyone, "It was fine. I believe there's a good chance Officer Henry Byrd may be indicted on all charges."

Jo said, "We have to hope and we have to pray."

Dan said, "That means hoping is the only job us atheists have at this point."

That made me laugh.


	21. Chapter 21

At the hotel, DA Watkins assured me, "The grand jury should give us their answer in a few days or weeks depending on how they view the evidence. I have high hopes that Officer Henry Byrd will be indicted."

I asked DA Watkins, "What if they decide to lower the charges to manslaughter and simple assault? What if they decide not to indict Officer Byrd on certain charges? What if they decided not to indict him at all?"

DA Watkins told me, "Prince, you just need to have faith. Like I said before, your story and voice is different from other police brutality cases. This may be one of the few cases that results in actual justice."

I said, "I still don't believe I deserve special treatment."

DA Watkins told me, "You know something, Prince Jackson? You're one of the humblest men I've ever met."

The next day, at lunchtime, DA Watkins called me on my cell. I was eating a KFC Big Crunch Sandwich with fries and a can of Diet Pepsi.

I swallowed my food, answered my cell, and asked, "DA Watkins, whats the news?"

DA Watkins stated, "My office received word from Captain Richmond that the Chief of Police will terminate Henry Byrd's employment with the department. I believe it's because Henry Byrd has brought bad publicity to the Dallas PD, not because he's been brought before a grand jury. But this also means that the Dallas PD might make changes in their law enforcement tactics."

When I told my friends and family the news, they all cheered! I stated, "This isn't a guarantee that Mr. Byrd will be indicted and then incarcerated for his crimes. But it does mean that what happened to Soludo and me may now be seen as a real crime."

Rupert said, "You'd better be even more careful, Prince."

I asked, "Why?"

Rupert said, "There are plenty of folks who don't believe Henry Byrd did anything wrong. People are gonna say that the grand jury only listened to your sob story because you pulled the race card."

Emma said, "Rupert, Prince has never cared about what the whole wide world thinks of him. He cares about doing the right thing and he's often done just that thanks to his instincts."

Rodney King has said that he never wanted to be a symbol or an icon of police brutality. Ma and Dad say Ryan White never wanted to be a spokesperson for HIV. I don't want to be a symbol, an icon, or a spokesperson but this isn't about what I want. It's about what the world wants, what it needs. It's about the injustices meted out to the marginalized people of the world. I may not have planned on being a beacon but it looks like I'll have to become one.

When we got home, I told my parents I wanted to do more to help the movement.

Ma asked, "Are you sure?"

I said, "Yes, I'm sure. People need a beacon and I can be one."

Dad asked, "You don't feel obligated to do this because of people's wants and fantasies?"

I said, "I know Grandma told you that you can't spend your life fitting into other people's fantasies. But this isn't a fantasy, this is reality. The reality is that it's always been open season on Black people from all walks of life. Lots of Blacks feel powerless but I never have. Thanks to our unusual upbringing, Dan says Paris, the twins, and I are among the most powerful people he knows. I have the power to fight the powers that be. So I want to make my mark."

Ma and Dad looked at each other for a minute. They're good at that, speaking without using words. It's the result of over twenty years of a loving relationship. I've always wondered if I'll love anyone the way my parents love each other.

Dad said, "You're a grown man and you can make your own decisions. All your mother and I can do right now is love and support you."

I helped organize more protests in LA and continued my work at the rec center and the animal shelter. But something really dark happened when I was in Washington, DC for Hasani and Crystal's wedding.

I was staying with Uncle Sirius and his family. Sirius Freeman works as a lawyer and also helped organize protests in the nation's capital with help from his mom, Dean Aurelia Freeman. Aunt Aurelia is one of my mom's favorite relatives; she's a Black feminist who never let sex or race slow down her ambition. Aunt Aurelia has retired from teaching at Howard but she's still involved in the DC Black Community.

After Hasani and Crystal tied the knot on the 20th of July, I was relaxing at Uncle Sirius's house. Then Uncle Sirius told me, "Prince, there's something you should know."

I asked, "What happened? Did my flight get cancelled?"

Uncle Sirius said, "No, but since Henry Byrd has been brought before a grand jury for killing Soludo and for almost killing you, a friend of his who's a Dallas PD sergeant has decided to take his own stand."

I asked, "What do you mean?"

Uncle Sirius said, "Tomorrow evening the sergeant will have a national interview where he'll tell Mr. Byrd's side of the story."

I asked, "So, this sergeant can tell his side of the story and I can't tell mine?"

Uncle Sirius said, "Your parents, your siblings, and your friends figured you'd say that. They thought it was important you know and, if you watch the interview, we should watch it with you."

I nodded and said, "That would be cool."

Tomorrow evening a White man in his forties wearing a police uniform with a golden-painted badge that said **SERGEANT** on it faced a White blond woman wearing a blue blazer and skirt.

She said, "My name is Connie Whitworth. I'm with Sergeant Pablo Wallace of the Dallas Police Department. The Dallas PD has faced scrutiny ever since twenty-year-old Soludo Nduka was killed by former officer Henry Byrd on May nineteenth, 2008. Now Sergeant Wallace wants to tell the nation and the world what happened. I assume Henry Byrd told you what happened that night?"

Sergeant Wallace said, "Yes, Mrs. Whitworth. Henry said he saw two Black men standing near a Pontiac, which he believed was stolen. The first Black guy had a gun so Henry had to shoot them both to keep them from harming anyone in Taco Bell or getting away with the stolen car."

Mrs. Whitworth said, "But, Sergeant Wallace, Soludo was holding a wrench, not a gun. He never threatened the restaurant. He owned the Pontiac. This has been confirmed several times."

Sergeant Wallace: But Henry couldn't tell it was just a wrench. He assumed it was a gun because that's what most Black men carry around at night.

Mrs. Whitworth: Then why didn't Mr. Byrd yell at them to freeze and drop the 'weapon'? Why didn't he give them a proper warning? Why did he shoot first and ask questions later?

Sergeant Wallace: Henry was just doing his job. You know, he patrols South Dallas and he loved the hood. He wanted to make a difference in the lives of the people there.

I wondered, how is murdering a Black man who was headed to medical school 'making a difference'? Does Mr. Byrd really think that murdering every single Black and Brown resident of South Dallas will make the world a better place? Hitler had a similar ideology.

Sergeant Wallace: He didn't know who Soludo and Prince were nor what their future plans were.

Mrs. Whitworth: If Mr. Byrd knew who and what Soludo and Prince are, would he have fired his gun?

Sergeant Wallace: Celebrity kids get too much special treatment. They have to learn law enforcement will treat them the way it treats all American citizens.

If I was a White celebrity child, Mr. Byrd would have never shot me and he would have apologized a thousands time over, grovelling in the dirt. Black celebrity families have always been despised because of the hope we bring.

Mrs. Whitworth: What about the tall tale Mr. Byrd spun about hearing rap music and Soludo's and Prince's plans to rob Taco Bell?

Sergeant Wallace: Of course, Henry is a good man. But when good men are scared for their lives, they may exaggerate or stretch the truth.

Mrs. Whitworth: But Mr. Byrd was brought before a grand jury two weeks ago. That means he's one step closer to being locked up for the rest of his life. Seems plausible he'd lie and say anything to save his own skin, even though his wife and son have disowned him.

Sergeant Wallace: Henry was just doing his job and people are making him out to be a monster.

Soludo and I weren't doing anything wrong but Mr. Byrd is making _us_ out to be the monsters!

Mrs. Whitworth: Do you think racism is being used as an excuse to indict Mr. Byrd?

Sergeant Wallace: Of course. Blacks use racism to justify bad things happening to them because they want a free ride.

Mrs. Whitworth: What about slavery and Jim Crow? You don't think there are similarities between those unjust systems and police brutality?

Sergeant Wallace: None that I can see.

Sergeant Wallace is the dumbest redneck I've seen in a while.

After the interview, Uncle Sirius turned off the TV while his wife and kids cursed Sergeant Wallace and Henry Byrd.

I had kept my face blank and said, "If Henry Byrd thinks I'll stay silent, he's gravely mistaken."

Uncle Sirius asked, "You want to give your own interview? Tell yours and Soludo's side of the story?"

I replied, "Most definitely." I took out my cell phone and called my parents.

Mama, Paris, Kenya, Emma, and Jo had also cursed out the sergeant and Henry Byrd. Dad told me, "Prince, you do _not_ want to be in a house full of pissed-off women!"

I said, "Uncle Sirius and them also cursed out the sergeant and Henry Byrd. Looks like the Dallas PD's rep is going to get worse."

Dad laughed and said, "Son, if you want to speak out then we can call Oprah. See if she'll give you a one-on-one interview that the whole world will see."

I said, "Great! Oprah Winfrey is the Queen of Talk Shows! Connie Whitworth has some skills but Oprah's words will be a hundred times more powerful!"

After I flew home to California, Ethan called us and said the Chief of the Dallas PD had put Sergeant Wallace on suspended leave. He'd be off-duty for a month at the most.

A week later, DA Watkins called my cell phone. I asked him, "DA Watkins, whats the news?"

DA Watkins stated, "The grand jury has decided to indict Henry Byrd on the following charges: murder with malice, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon."

I asked, "What about the reckless endangerment and obstruction of justice charges?"

DA Watkins explained, "Since all the bullets hit Soludo and yourself and didn't hit anything or anyone else, I guess the grand jury didn't see Henry Byrd's actions as reckless endangerment to others."

I said, "It was reckless endangerment to me and Soludo!"

DA Watkins continued, "Plus, most of the grand jury may not see this crime as an obstruction of justice since there have been a string of thefts in that Taco Bell's area. They may see Henry Byrd's actions as somewhat justified."

I angrily said, "So, basically, it's okay to shoot unarmed civilians even though the only proof you have that they're dangerous is their skin color."

DA Watkins stated, "Prince Jackson, the good news is that the grand jury has indicted Henry Byrd on the other charges. That means we're one step closer to incarcerating him for his crimes."

CNN announced the grand jury's decision and so did the newspapers. Soon, the whole world heard about the indictment; Black people and protestors everywhere were celebrating! They had a right to celebrate; I knew that all the protests along with the videotape had called attention to the sin of police brutality.

Ethan called me and said, "Yo, Prince, some interesting news about my dad. He fired Uncle George after the indictment because he feels that his brother didn't do enough to get him a non-indictment. Uncle George says he defended Dad to the best of his ability. Dad said then he'll just have to find another lawyer who will guarantee his acquittal."

I asked, "Are there any lawyers brave enough to defend him?"

Ethan said, "There are plenty of bigoted rednecks out there. I'm sure my dad will find a decent lawyer who will be out for your blood. I'll keep you posted."

Since Henry Byrd had been indicted, the FBI finally got a warrant for his arrest. He'll probably be safer in a jail cell than he will be on the streets. Some folks have picketed the houses he's been staying at and have even thrown glass bottles and rocks through the windows. It looks like the Justice for SAP protests are really heating up.

The Justice for SAP protests has it's own Wikipedia article. Wikipedia says that the Justice for SAP protests are among the biggest in US history. The article starts off with the origins of police brutality and relates Soludo's death and my brush with death with what happened to Rodney King and other victims of police brutality. Then the article relates in detail what happened on May 19, 2008. Then the article states about the protests in the US and beyond. There are links on the Wiki page to other articles about the Texas protests, the US protests, the world protests, the violence created by the protests, and the "defund the police" initiative.

The next step: Organizing for and setting the trial date to determine whether or not Henry Byrd will be found guilty of his crimes. And my interview with Oprah.


	22. Chapter 22

[ _Flashback_ ]

I drove to UW-Madison in my Mustang along with some members of our family's security team. Obviously, my parents and siblings couldn't come with me lest my classmates find out I'm a member of the Jackson musical family. The bodyguards helped me unload my stuff from my Mustang and a U-Haul. I had been assigned a single-room in Merit Residence Hall. There are sixty-eight residents living in Merit and the floors are co-ed.

When my dorm mates saw my bodyguards, they asked, "One of these men your dad?"

I replied, "No. My parents didn't want to embarrass me by coming up here with me. So some members of their security team came along with me instead."

They asked, "Your parents have bodyguards?"

I said, "Yeah."

From the looks on their faces you could tell that they were wondering what kind of work my parents did that required them to hire bodyguards. I just hoped they didn't figure out I'm a Jackson.

The bodyguards drove back to California in their cars and my Mustang. I decided to rely on public transit and my own two feet in order to get around Madison. But I had told Paris over the phone that when she got her license she still couldn't drive my car. Don't mess with a brother's ride.

A meet-and-greet was arranged the next day. Our dorm director welcomed us to Merit Hall, explained the rules, and wished us a happy and successful time at UW-Madison. Merit Hall also has a kitchen on each floor and a laundry room on the first floor. I'm signed up for a meal plan in the cafeteria but I can cook a decent home-cooked meal if I get tired of school food.

My first class was General Chemistry I. When I walked into the lab, I asked an Asian guy who was talking to a girl with medium-brown skin, "Is this seat taken?"

The Asian guy turned around, looked at me, but didn't answer. His eyes looked like they were going to pop out and his mouth was open but no words were coming out.

The girl next to the Asian guy said, "I'm Jasmine Sanchez and this is Gideon Zhang. Sorry but Gid seems to be at a loss for words."

Gideon finally said, "This seat ain't taken. You can have it and you can consider it your seat for the rest of the semester. If the chair ain't comfortable, you can have mine. If you need anything, I'll help you out."

I'd gotten this reaction from girls and guys several times since I was a preteen. My friends and family have pointed out I'm as good-looking as both my parents and that I'm as sweet, strong, and generous as them as well. My guess was that Gideon Zhang was gay or bisexual. Best to ask him that question at a later time and in a private place since I also wanted to keep my sexuality in the closet.

I replied, "Thank you, Gideon Zhang. My name is Prince."

Gideon asked, "Prince what?"

I stated, "Just Prince."

Jasmine asked, "What's your major, Just Prince?"

I smiled and replied, "I'm double-majoring in Animal Science and Zoology."

Gid replied, "Me too! Are you planning on becoming a veterinarian? 'Cause that's my goal and Jasmine's as well."

I replied, "Yes, I do plan on becoming a vet. Jasmine, are you double majoring in Animal Science and Zoology as well?"

Gid stated, "Nah, she ain't."

Jasmine explained, "First, you can just call me Jazz. Second, I'm double-majoring in Animal Science and Wildlife Ecology."

I replied, "Cool!"

The three of us had some classes together and we ended up studying together. I also learned more about my new friends. Jasmine is from Tampa, Florida; her father is Mexican and a pediatrician; her mother is Afro-Guyanese and a registered nurse; and she has a little sister named Starr. Gideon is from Boston; his father is also a veterinarian and his mother is a forensic scientist for the Boston Police Department; and he has two younger brothers. Gid kept smiling at me in a goofy-happy way. I could tell he was attracted to me and I thought he was cute. But I'd need to go out with him first to see if we could be more than friends. Now, my family supports the LGBTQ+ community and are determined to make sure they receive equal rights. That means they also support me as well.

Later, after we finished studying, I asked Gid, "Do you have romantic feelings for me?"

Gid looked astonished that I'd asked that and he said, "Yes I do. I'm bisexual so I get romantic feelings for women _and_ men."

I said, "I'm flattered you like me, Gideon, but we'd need to go out first to see if we can be more than friends."

Gid said, "Really?! Are you gay or bisexual?"

I said, "Neither, I'm pansexual."

Gid asked, "Are you a hundred percent sure?"

I said, "Absolutely positive."

Gid exclaimed, "Alright! This is my lucky day!"

I asked, "Are there any gay nightclubs in this city?"

Gid said, "I'll check the Internet. Don't worry, you've received a first-class ticket on the Love Express."

Then he winked at me and walked away. Damn, I had to admit that Gid is an attractive guy. He's an inch shorter than me, has a slim and muscular build, and a warm smile. If we ended up hitting third base, pregnancy definitely won't be in the stars.

When I went outside on Saturday to get some fresh air, I saw a Black guy come out of Davis Residence Hall; he was wearing an onyx ring with a black pearl. The black pearl had kanji written on it. I'm fluent in Japanese so I understood what the kanji said.

I walked up to him; he was two inches taller than me and looked to be in great athletic shape. I said, " _Konichiwa_ , my ninja comrade."

The Black guy faced me, raised his eyebrows, and asked, "You're trained in the art of invisibility?"

I said, "Yes, since I was six."

The Black guy stuck out his hand and said, "I'm Adonis Powers but everyone calls me Donnie."

I shook his hand and said, "Prince. I don't advertise my last name."

Donnie said, "I'm from Harlem and got here on a basketball scholarship."

I said, "I'm from Southern California. Even though I qualified for an academic scholarship, my parents are paying for my tuition."

Donnie said, "Your folks must be _loaded_!"

I laughed and asked, "What are you majoring in?"

Donnie replied, "A Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance, Investment, and Banking. I'm planning on working on Wall Street in the future."

I said, "Cool. I'm double-majoring in Animal Science and Zoology so I can become a veterinarian."

Donnie said, "We should train together in order to keep our skills at their peak. Have you met anyone else who practices martial arts?"

I said, "I can ask my friends, Gideon and Jasmine, if they know martial arts."

I called Gid and Jazz on my cell-phone. Gid told me, "Yeah, I know martial arts. I'm trained in the Five Animal Styles, Baguazhang, and Jeet Kune Do. My parents are both highly skilled martial artists and I started training when I was five. Now, I'm a master."

Damn, that makes him even more attractive.

Jazz told me, "When a Latino kid was kidnapped and later murdered when I was seven, I refused to leave my house except for school. So Papi decided to enroll me in a martial arts school. I got my black belt in hapkido when I was thirteen. I can always use the extra practice."

I told Gid and Jazz to meet us at the Nicholas Recreation Center. It has over 30'000 square feet of fitness space so there should be room for us to practice martial arts. I went back to my dorm room to get some exercise clothes and then headed to the Nicholas Rec Center with Donnie. I'd been to several rec centers and gyms across the planet but the Nicholas Rec was still very impressive. It has strength equipment, cardio equipment, basketball courts, indoor tracks, and more.

When we found a room used mainly for stretching and yoga, we knew we had a decent dojo. When Jazz and Gid showed up, they were also wearing tanks and shorts.

Gid said, "Alright, Prince, let's see what you got. I wanna see if you're as talented a martial artist as you are gorgeous."

Donnie asked, "Say what now?"

I explained, "Gideon Zhang is bisexual and has the hots for me."

Donnie asked, "Do you feel the same way?"

I said, "I've dated girls, guys, and transsexual people in the past but only time will tell if I'll care about Gideon as more than just a friend."

Gid and I sparred for awhile; he was a highly skilled martial artist but I was able to win most of our duels. Donnie was good but he needed to focus more. Jazz's focus was excellence along with her speed and agility.

Donnie said, "Damn, Prince! You could be the next Bruce Lee!"

Gid said, "Hey! You're saying Prince could be a better Bruce Lee than the Chinese guy in this group?"

Donnie said, "Yeah, pretty much."

Jazz laughed, which was the first time I saw her do that; she always looked sad and angry. Here eyes were often distant, as if she was nursing and hiding a secret sorrow.

When we had the time, we sparred and exercised together. Donnie and I also played basketball together; Donnie said he need to hone his skills for basketball season in the spring semester.

He asked me, "Have you considered joining one of the school's intramural teams?"

I said, "No. I'm planning on playing trumpet in the Badger Band, joining C.A.R.E., and pledging Alpha Phi Alpha when I turn eighteen."

Donnie raised his eyebrows and asked, "How old are you?"

I replied, "Sixteen. I skipped the seventh and eighth grades."

Donnie said, "Wow, you must have been one of those gifted kids."

I shrugged and said, "Yeah, I guess so."

Donnie said, "Well, consider adding the basketball recreational league to that list of extracurricular activities. The more activities, the more impressed grad schools are."

Since I wouldn't be able to become an Alpha until my junior year, joining an intramural team might be a good idea. I'd most likely have to drop the Badger Band, C.A.R.E., or basketball if I became an Alpha. But the limited time would still look good on my vet school application.

When we went back to our dorm rooms after exercising, Donnie introduced me to his roommate, Hakim Khan.

Hakim shook my hand and said, "I'm from New York, I'm Bangladeshi, and I'm double-majoring in Legal Studies and Philosophy. I'm planning on working as a criminal law attorney for the Legal Aid Society."

I introduced myself to Hakim and he became part of my group of college friends. Donnie told me his dad is a butler and his mother was a janitor. She worked at the World Trade Center and was killed on 9/11. Hakim said his parents are both immigrants and are American citizens. He said that he's the first member of his family to be born in America. His dad works as a cabdriver and his mom works at a textile factory.

I met the final member of our group when I auditioned for the Badger Band. I can play the electric guitar, the bass, the keyboards, the drums, and the trumpet. But guitars and keyboards aren't played in marching bands. Since I love the trumpet more than the drums, I auditioned as a trumpeter. Dad can play the electric and bass guitars, the keyboards, and the drums. Mama can only play the keyboards. Uncle Q aka Quincy Jones taught me to play the trumpet; he's performed on plenty of jazz records in his life. Uncle Q has played with Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, and Miles Davis.

I played "Weather Bird" by the Dipper Mouth himself, Louis Armstrong, at my audition. It's an oldie but a goodie. Louis Armstrong and Earl "Fatha" Hines recorded it as a duet between trumpet and piano on December 5, 1928; the recording is regarded as "the most famous duet in jazz history." I was given blank faces by the heads of the Badger Band after my audition. They told me results would be posted outside the music office then called for the next musician.

The next musician was a dark-skinned man who was an inch shorter than me. He was holding a snare drum and two drumsticks. I listened to his rhythms and thought he sounded as good as the Jackson 5's old drummer, Johnny Jackson (no relation). Shoot, he sounded as good as Ringo Starr. The heads of the Badger Band said the same thing to him that they said to me.

When he came out, I said, "Nice rhythms, man. I've heard great drummers all my life and you have IT. What's your major?"

He replied, "Neurobiology and a minor in Psychology. I want to be a neurosurgeon; music is just a hobby and pastime."

I nodded and said, "Cool. What's your name?"

He replied, "Soludo Nduka."

I said, "Soludo. Igbo for 'Follow peace.'"

Soludo asked me, "You speak Igbo?"

I said, "I understand the meanings of some Igbo names. I have ancestors who were of Igbo and Yoruba descent. My family has also visited Nigeria over the years in order to get in touch with our roots."

Soludo said, "Cool. My family are Nigerian immigrants; we live in Highland, Texas, a rich section of the city of Dallas. My dad's the CFO of AT&T and my mom is a surgeon."

I said, "Cool. I'm from Southern California; my dad's a businessman and my mom's also a doctor."

Soludo shook my hand vigorously; it looked like college life was off to a great start.


	23. Chapter 23

Jasmine, Gideon, Donnie, Hakim, Soludo, and I were as tight as the Hillman crew and Hogwarts' Golden Trio. My family and my other friends were happy that I had adjusted to college life so well.

Plenty of things happened to the six of us during our four years at UW-Madison. But there were some key events that stood out more than others.

I told my friends I was planning to pledge Alpha Phi Alpha in my junior year of college. The Alphas require that all pledges be registered voters and I wouldn't be a registered voter until 2006.

Soludo said, "I'm pledging Kappa Alpha Psi next year. My dad became a Kappa when he studied in England and his Kappa friends helped him get his start with AT&T. My brother became a Kappa at Duke and now I have to carry on the family tradition."

I asked, "Anyone else planning on pledging a frat or sorority?"

Jasmine said, "No way. I hate elitist clubs."

Donnie said, "BGLOs were created for the Black bourgeoisie, not poor hood rats like me. I ain't interested."

I said, "Don, men from a variety of backgrounds have pledged BGLOs. No one will look down on you because of your hood upbringing. Plus, frat connections can help open the door to Wall Street."

Donnie said, "I also know that frat brothers have to donate money to keep the frats' community programs goin'. My dad can't spare the extra cash."

Gideon said, "Then I'll pledge Alpha since Prince holds them in such high regard."

Donnie asked, "Can a Chinese guy even pledge a Divine Nine frat?"

I replied, "Yeah, Don. Alpha Phi Alpha has been interracial since 1945. Any man can pledge regardless of race."

Soludo said, "Kappa Alpha Psi has never limited membership based on color, creed, or national origin."

Hakim said, "Really? What requirements do they have?"

After talking about frats and sororities, Gid decided to pledge Alpha Phi Alpha with me during our junior year. Soludo and Hakim decided to pledge Kappa Alpha Psi the following year, their sophomore year.

UW-Madison has strict rules about hazing to ensure no pledges end up in the hospital or the morgue. But the Kappas still made Soludo and Hakim do plenty of mind-numbing chores to test their strength and will. Soludo and Hakim also helped out with community programs to ensure they could do more than hang out at Kappa parties.

While we were exercising, Jasmine asked Soludo and Hakim, "Are you sure you two will get in?"

Soludo said, "Yeah. The top dog seemed pleased with how well we did our work."

Hakim said, "We better get in. I don't want to have done all that hard work for nothing!"

Thank God that Soludo and Hakim both became Kappas. They looked handsome in their red suits and ties.

When the Alpha's top dog spoke to me personally, he said, "I know who and what you are, Prince Richard Jackson. I also want you to know that just because you're a son of Michael Jackson and Dr. Karen Lincoln doesn't mean I'll treat you any differently from the other pledges."

I said, "Understood, Top Dog sir. But I don't want you to give me any special treatment. Treat me the same as everyone else."

Some of my professors had also figured out who and what I am. They had also said they wouldn't give me special treatment but I explained that I didn't want any special treatment. I certainly never needed it since I've made the Dean's List on my own hard work every semester since I started going to UW-Madison.

The tasks Gid and I went through during our junior year was also mind-numbing but not dangerous. We both became Alpha brothers and I emailed pictures of me and Gideon wearing our black and yellow Alpha suits to my friends and family.

Dan told me over the phone, "You look like a member of Hufflepuff house."

I said, "Yeah, but you know Ravenclaw is my Hogwarts house. The D-Nine frat with colors similar to Ravenclaw's is Phi Beta Sigma but I didn't choose the Alphas based on their frat colors."

I had to stop playing basketball for the intramural team after I became an Alpha lest my schedule got too hectic. I still played trumpet in the Badger Band and I remained a member of C.A.R.E.

My junior year is also when I took my GREs. I did the General GRE Test and the GRE Biology Test. There used to be a VCAT test for prospective veterinary students but it was cancelled years ago. Now some vet schools accept the GRE Biology Test while others just accept the General GRE Test. I scored a 5.5 on the analytical writing section, a 165 on the verbal reasoning section, and a 168 on the quantitative reasoning section of the GRE General Test. I scored a 980 on the GRE Biology Test. Then I applied to the seven vet schools of my choice: UW-Madison, UC Davis, Ohio State, Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, Tufts University, and Atlanta A&T. UPenn was my top choice because it's an Ivy League school, it's located in a major city with the third largest African-American population in the USA, and it has an urban and rural campus for vet students.

When I got into UPenn, I told Jasmine, Gideon, Donnie, Hakim, and Soludo. Then I called my family and friends. They were all happy for me and congratulated me a thousand times.

But Kyle Jacobs wasn't happy when he walked into class. Kyle has had it in for me since my freshman year. Soludo said he and Kyle went to the same private school together and that he's always been a racist. I just learned to ignore his bullshit.

But Kyle told Professor Evans, "Affirmative action discriminates against members of the majority."

I exclaimed, "I beg your pardon?"

Professor Evans said, "That's uncalled for, Mr. Jacobs. Mr. Jackson got into UPenn because of his hard work."

Kyle said, "I worked hard too! I get straight-As, I tutor, and I got higher test scores than Prince. But he got into UPenn while I got rejected. I know for a fact that it's because I'm White and he's Black."

I asked, "What makes you think you got better test scores than me?" I certainly never told Kyle my GRE scores.

Kyle said, "I got a 5.5 on the analytical writing section, a 162 on the verbal reasoning section, and a 165 on the quantitative reasoning section of the GRE General Test. I also got a 950 on the GRE Biology Test." When I told Kyle my GRE scores, he exclaimed, "Bullshit, you're a liar!"

I exclaimed, "I'm not lying! I even have photos of my test scores on my cell-phone." I showed them to Kyle and his face got redder with anger.

Professor Evans said, "Mr. Jacobs, you said affirmative action discriminates against members of the majority. But it's very racist of you to assume that Mr. Jackson would get lower scores than you. I'm taking you to the Dean. Bigotry of any kind is not tolerated at UW-Madison."

Donnie would also be joining me at UPenn so that he could earn his MBA. Donnie had applied to the business schools at the University of Chicago, Stanford, UPenn, Emory, UW-Madison, Penn State, and Howard. U of C and Stanford rejected him but the other business schools accepted him. Donnie claims that he wasn't looking forward to living in the Windy City or California anyway since they can't compare to the Big Apple.

Gideon had applied to the vets schools at UW-Madison, Tufts, UPenn, Cornell, Ohio State, the University of Minnesota, and UC Davis. UPenn had rejected him but Cornell deferred him. Gid said that if he didn't get into Cornell he'd go to Tufts. But I know he doesn't want to be too close to home.

Jasmine had applied to the vet schools at UW-Madison, Ohio State, UIUC, Atlanta A&T, the University of Georgia, and the University of Florida. She was accepted by all six schools and decided to go to vet school at the University of Florida in order to be closer to home.

Hakim had applied to the law schools at Northwestern, the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, UW-Madison, UIUC, and George Washington University. Hakim's top law school choice was Northwestern but they rejected him. But he got into the other law schools and decided between U of M and GWU; he decided to go to U of M in September. Dr. Ben Carson, a good friend of my parents, got his MD from U of M.

Soludo had scored well on the MCAT and had applied to the medical schools at Texas A&M, Freeman, Howard, UW-Madison, Vanderbilt, and UPenn. UPenn had rejected him but the other med schools accepted him. He decided to study at Vanderbilt.

Our crew was heading to different worlds after graduation but we promised to keep in touch. Like my parents, my list of close friends isn't very high; Seven, Sam, Duke, Essence, Saint, Simba, EJ, Kevin, Dan, Rupert, Tom, Emma, and the UW-Madison crew are my closest friends and I cherish the love we share. Your friends are the family you pick for yourself.

[ _End Flashback_ ]


	24. Chapter 24

My interview was arranged for the start of August. Oprah decided to fly out to LA to interview me in my parents' house, just like how she interviewed Dad fifteen years ago.

Paris asked, "Do any of us get to be in the interview or is it just you?"

Emma asked, "Why would Oprah want to interview you?"

Paris explained, "We're his family so we'd all have plenty to say about Prince's character."

Dan said, "The only other person Oprah talked to besides your dad back in 1993 was your mother. They're two parts of a power couple so that's understandable."

Rupert said, "Maybe Ben could fly out here and talk about Soludo. Unless Prince thinks he can tell Oprah everything she needs to know about him."

I said, "The Ndukas are avoiding the spotlight unless it's critical to get justice for their son. Going to work everyday is a challenge with the phone threats and insults they have to endure. No, I think it's best if Oprah only talks to me. The legal system and the press have been fighting me ever since Soludo died."

The interview was at night, just like the 1993 interview. I was dressed in a button-down shirt and Versace pants.

Oprah started off the interview by saying, "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to a special interview here on _The Oprah Winfrey Show_. I'm back at Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch to talk to his son, Prince Richard Jackson. When I interviewed Michael Jackson and his wife back in 1993 Prince Jackson was a five-year-old boy. But today he is a man with big plans for his future. But his future almost ended when former Dallas police officer Henry Byrd shot and killed Prince's friend, Soludo Nduka, and almost killed Prince. This case has garnered national and international attention. The Justice for SAP Movement has taken the globe by storm. A Dallas police officer recently gave an interview that dictated Henry Byrd's side of the story. Tonight, we're going to hear Prince Jackson's side of the story."

Then Oprah showed the TV viewers the house and noted some of the changes it had gone through since she had been here fifteen years ago. She praised the beauty of my family's home and then introduced me.

I walked into the same room Dad had done his interview with Oprah in. I shook her hand and said, "It's great to see you again, Miss Winfrey, and I'm honored to be on your show."

Oprah said, "Please, Prince, just call me Oprah."

We both sat down in chairs across from each other and then Oprah asked me to recount what happened the night Soludo died. I told her and she had the same sad look in her eyes most other people have when I tell them about May 19, 2008.

Then Oprah asked, "You didn't threaten Mr. Byrd or plan to rob the store?"

I said, "Of course not. Why would we need to rob stores? You can tell by looking at this house that my parents are extremely wealthy and the Ndukas are also wealthy. Mr. Nduka is the CFO of AT&T and Dr. Nduka is a surgeon."

Oprah asked, "Do you hate all cops because of what Henry Byrd did to you and Soludo?"

I said, "No, my uncle Isaac used to be a cop and is now an FBI agent. He's a good man and a smart man so I know that not all people in law enforcement are bad. But I want them to stop making assumptions about Black people. We're not all criminals and even those Black people who are criminals don't deserve zero mercy from our broken justice system. My father said that we need more love in the world in order to heal it. Unfortunately, Henry Byrd seems to have a problem expressing love."

Oprah asked, "What do you mean?"

I explained what Ethan had told me about his father's past. Oprah asked, "So Henry Byrd was out to kill or imprison as many Blacks as possible because a Black man killed his mother?"

I said, "Yes, I believe so."

Oprah said, "It doesn't sound like he deserved to wear a police badge."

I told Oprah, "Exactly, Oprah. People are protesting because they want better policing. We'll get better cops when leaders in law enforcement screen their applicants better. I'm guessing that the Dallas Police Chief was aware of Henry Byrd's past thanks to background checks. Didn't he worry that the death of Henry Byrd's mother would result in him racially profiling Black people, Brown people, and other people of color? Plus, several Black and Brown people have filed complaints against Henry Byrd and other Dallas officers have stated that they believed him to be an incompetent cop. Ethan says that the Dallas Police Chief should have fired his dad a long time ago. It would have saved _a lot_ of people so much grief."

Oprah said, "Okay, Prince, thank you for your opinion. I would like to ask when you met Soludo and how long you were friends."

I said, "Soludo and I met when we auditioned for the Badger Band at UW-Madison. He played the drums and I played the trumpet. We talked about our favorite music styles and musicians and we became fast friends."

Oprah asked, "Have you been able to make real friends who love you for who you are, not what you are?"

I smiled and said, "Yes, Oprah, yes I have."

Oprah asked, "How long have you been friends with the Harry Potter kids?"

I laughed and said, "My siblings and I have known Daniel Radcliffe since the summer of 1998. We met him at a children's hospital; Dan told the world that he has mild dyspraxia, a disorder that affects his motor skills. Dan was there to get help from the doctors and social workers. He saw my siblings and I sitting alone, reading books. He sparked a conversation with us, invited us to his house, and our friendship grew. We also convinced the Radcliffes to let Dan try his hand at acting. Dan had low self-esteem at the time so we knew he had to figure out what he was good at by trusting his instincts."

Oprah said, "Yes, Daniel Radcliffe played young David Copperfield in the BBC One adaptation of the story. Then he auditioned for Harry Potter. Did he call you immediately when he got the role?"

I said, "Yes, he did. Dan called us at noon which meant it was eight p.m. in London. I answered the phone, Dan told me to put the phone on speaker, I called everyone to the phone because I knew Dan had big news, and Dan confirmed that he got the role of Harry Potter. We all screamed with joy! Then Dan, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson were introduced to the world at a press conference. When I saw them on TV I thought the Golden Trio had walked out of the pages and into the real world. Dan said it would be cool to be famous, Emma said she was going to stick her money in her bank account until she was twenty-one, and Rupert said 'Well, speaking as a wizard, well, we're going to get muggle money and I don't really understand it.'"

Oprah and I both laughed. Then I said, "Then Dan called us so that he could prove he knew us. When Dad talked to J.K. Rowling over the phone, she fainted. I'm used to that because countless people have fainted when they've met Dad or seen him live in concert. Then Emma screamed for joy and then we finally had a conversation. Filming for the first Harry Potter film, _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_ , began at the end of September. My parents, my siblings, and I flew to England in November because Mom and Dad were going to be given honorary degrees from the University of Oxford. When we landed in London, we saw Dan again and met the rest of the cast for the first time. My family and I stayed in England for a month and we became close friends with the Harry Potter kids. We communicate via our cellphones and laptops and we visit England as much as we can."

Oprah asked, "So you've been on the Harry Potter sets frequently and got to see how they make the movies?"

I said, "Yes, that's always been a fun experience. Paris' godfather, Gabriel Hampton, directed, produced, and helped write the screenplay for _Goblet of Fire_. My family recommended him as an able director because he's a master at adapting written works to the screen. My siblings and I have Hogwarts uniforms and magic wands. The wizarding world is an important part of our lives."

Oprah said, "Okay, it looks like you have a very special friendship. Now, I want to ask why you decided to study veterinary science. Are you interested at all in being in show business?"

I told Oprah, "I have many interests. My friends say I'm a polymath, a Renaissance man, since I'm skilled in many subjects. I love music. I love dancing. In addition to the trumpet, I can also play the guitar, the bass, the drums, and the keyboards. But my family has always been big animal lovers and I wanted to learn how to care for animals the way my mother does. So I decided to go to college to study veterinary science. First, I had to get bachelor's degree in Animal Science and Zoology. I applied to UC Davis, Cornell, Atlanta A&T, Florida A&M, Ohio State, Michigan State, and UW-Madison. I was accepted by all seven schools. Atlanta A&T, Ohio State, Michigan State, and UW-Madison have Animal Science _and_ Zoology programs so they were my final four. Since I wanted to do something different from my mother and my oldest sister, China, I decided not to go to Atlanta A&T. Now, Atlanta A&T is a great school that I admire so I don't want the world to think I look down on HBCUs. UW-Madison is ranked the highest among the three Public Ivies. It also has high research activity and the twelfth largest library in North America. Steenbock Memorial Library is the primary library for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, School of Human Ecology, School of Veterinary Medicine, and the Zoology Department. UW-Madison's Zoological Museum maintains a collection of approximately five hundred thousand zoological specimens, which can be used for research and instruction. So I decided to go to UW-Madison in the fall of 2004."

Oprah said, "I know from news reports that you made the Dean's List every semester; just like future doctors, future vets need high grades to get into vet school. Besides the marching band and being a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, what else did you do at UW-Madison?"

I stated, "I was a member of C.A.R.E., the Club for Animal Respect and Education, and I played basketball for an intramural team. Intramural teams play for fun, not in NCAA games like the other students on athletic scholarships. When I became an Alpha, I had to stop playing basketball for my intramural team so that my schedule wouldn't be hectic."

Oprah said, "Wow, sounds like your time at UW-Madison was well-spent. Which vet schools did you apply to?"

I replied, "UW-Madison, UC Davis, Ohio State, Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, Tufts University, and Atlanta A&T."

Oprah said, "I know you decided to go to UPenn, an Ivy League school, which is very impressive. Did all the vet schools you apply to accept you?"

I said, "Yes, Oprah, they did. Since UPenn is an Ivy League school they have outstanding academics; the vet school has an urban and rural campus that teaches students how to treat domestic and wild animals. UPenn is also located in Philadelphia, a major city with a diverse population and many points of interest. Philly is also an hour away from New York and two and a half hours away from DC."

Oprah said, "Fantastic, Prince! Now, some of viewers want to know if you date and if you're in a serious relationship."

I replied, "I do go out on dates but I'm not in any serious relationship. I've gone out with males, females, homosexuals, bisexuals, transgender people, et cetera. I'm pansexual which means I see beauty in all kinds of people. But I doubt I'll have time to date anyone because of all the work I'll be doing in vet school."

Oprah asked, "Do you want to get married and have kids?"

I said, "Yes, I'd love to start my own family some day but there's no rush. Since my parents have been happily married for twenty-one years, I have a good idea about what I, personally, want. Even my grandparents have stayed married for almost sixty years now despite all the problems they've had to face. My parents say love isn't easy but it's worth it."

Oprah said, "Now, can you tell me some things about Soludo?"

I said, "Sure. Soludo wanted to be a neurosurgeon. He majored in neuroscience and minored in psychology at UW-Madison. He applied to the medical schools at UW-Madison, Texas A&M, Freeman, Howard, Vanderbilt, and UPenn. UPenn rejected him but the other med schools accepted him. He decided to study at Vanderbilt. But he'll never step foot on Vanderbilt's campus."

Oprah said, "I'm sorry for your loss."

I said, "Soludo loved to play the drums. He loved any music that had a great drumbeat. He was a terrible dancer even after getting dancing lessons from me. His Hogwarts house was Hufflepuff; my Hogwarts house is Ravenclaw. He loved his parents, his big brother, and his friends. He was a smart man, a nice man, a good man. He didn't deserve to be murdered."

Oprah asked, "What do you think about people saying that since you and Soludo are part of the Black bourgeoisie that your lives are valued more than other police brutality victims who resided in the ghetto?"

I replied, "I think that's absolutely ridiculous. All life is precious. Rodney King was speeding and drunk driving that fateful night on May third, 1991. He also has a prior criminal record. But that didn't give the LAPD the right to beat him almost to death. Bryan Stevenson says, 'Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done.' Rodney King is more than a criminal and a drunk. He's somebody's son, brother, father, and friend. Rodney King needed help with his problems but the LAPD were ill-equipped and ill-prepared to help him."

Oprah asked, "Do you believe that the police are over-prioritized in today's society?"

I replied, "Yes. Many inner-city schools have cops in the halls but no guidance counselors. Some ghettos have cops patrolling the streets but no youth recreation centers. Cops are called to deal with mentally-ill people when psychologists and psychiatrists should be called. We're asking cops to deal with problems they're not trained to deal with. How long is it going to be before cops replace surgeons? Will cops start teaching students in addition to disciplining them? We have to face this issue today before cops are given absolute authority over every aspect of human life."

At the end of the interview, Oprah said, "Thank you for your time and your words. I wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors."

I hugged Oprah and said, "Thank you, Oprah."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this universe, I decided to have Gabriel Hampton direct the fourth Harry Potter film since MovieFlame and other HP fans dislike Mike Newell's approach to the film.


	25. Chapter 25

My interview with Oprah was aired to the world and helped give the Justice for SAP Movement some positive PR. Even social media, Facebook and Twitter, is abuzz with comments from people across the world. Many people have now heard my side of the story and believe that Soludo and I didn't deserve what we got. Now there are lots of people who are demanding Henry Byrd's incarceration.

Ethan called me and said, "Word through the grapevine is that my dad's lawyer will pull up every trick he can think of to discredit you."

Then DA Watkins said, "That's why we need to go over our court strategy."

I asked, "When is the court date?"

DA Watkins stated, "Since the legal system moves excruciatingly slowly it'll most likely be sometime next year. I'm guessing in the summer, when you're on break from school."

Ethan said, "You can always show off your Ivy League report card, proving you deserve to be there. Lots of folks think the legal system is going easy on you because you're a Jackson. We need to prove otherwise."

DA Watkins said, "During the trial, I think it's best I question you about the 1993 to '94 allegations against your father, your grandfather's disciplinarian nature, your mother's temper, and your martial arts skills."

I said, "That's a smart idea. If you ask me all those questions that means Henry Byrd's attorney won't be able to. It'll also show the judge and jury that I have nothing to hide."

My move-in day into my single-room dorm was scheduled for August 30. I usually drive to school with help from my parents' security team. But Ma, Dad, the twins, and the Brits wanted to accompany me to Philly. Paris had flown back to Atlanta so she could get back to work on her songwriting and producing. Jo had already left California and flown back to the UK since she had responsibilities to her work and to her family. But Dan, Rupert, Emma, and Tom decided to stay until my school year started. I know the main reasons my family and friends were coming with me to Philly were to help me move in and so that we can all celebrate Dad's fiftieth birthday. Wow! Ma turned fifty at the beginning of April but I wouldn't call them old. They still have lots of energy and this indomitable love of life.

We left the Santa Ynez Valley on August 27; our road trip took us through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia before we reached the City of Brotherly Love.

On August 28, Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. Everyone cheered because we were one step closer to getting a Black president in the White House.

The next day, we celebrated Dad's big Five-Oh in Ohio. We bought a cake, got party hats, and played Dad's songs from the Jackson 5 days to the present-day.

At the University of Pennsylvania, my family and friends were mobbed by fans. While they were signing autographs, I went to get my room assignment.

A White man with a buzz cut whose name tag said Chris Roosevelt said, "Welcome to UPenn, Prince Richard Jackson. You're going to be living in Sansom Place East."

Chris gave me my room keys, other papers, and a map. Chris circled where SPE is and explained, "SPE is a twenty-three-story apartment building, conveniently located in close proximity to all campus facilities. Your room is a single apartment, complete with bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Your room is located on the tenth floor. About five hundred graduate students live in SPE and I'm sure you'll make plenty of new friends besides the vet students."

I said, "Thanks, Chris. One of my best friends from UW-Madison, Donnie Powers, will also be living at SPE."

Chris asked, "Is he in the vet school program?"

I explained, "No, he's in the Wharton Business School, studying for his MBA."

Chris said, "Cool."

After I got my room assignment, my family and friends helped me move into my apartment.

When they saw it, they loved it. Emma said, "This is nice! A step up from the dorm room you were living in at UW-Madison."

We made my bed, set up my bookshelf, stocked up in the kitchen, and put the toiletries in the bathroom.

Now, my family would be driving back to California the next day but the Brits would be staying at a hotel in Philly until their scheduled flights back to London.

Hakim had called me in California and informed me that one of his friends from Brooklyn Tech is also going to be studying veterinary medicine at UPenn. His name is Miguel Montoya and I planned on meeting him before classes started.

But a Latino kid with curly hair knocked on my door and said, "Word through the halls is that Prince Jackson is living here. My friend Hakim Khan told me that Prince and I would hit it off since he's also a vet student."

I came up to Miguel, shook his hand, and said, "Pleasure to meet you, Miguel."

Then Miguel started speaking Spanish and I spoke it back to him. Only Mama and the twins would be able to understand what we were saying.

Then Miguel said in English, "My best friend from Ohio State is also studying vet medicine and also lives on this floor. I'll go get him."

Then Miguel came back with a man with brown skin and short, black hair that I guessed was South Asian. The man shook my hand and said, "I'm Santosh Kapoor. I'm from Chicago and both my parents studied at UPenn."

I asked Santosh, "Are your parents veterinarians?"

Santosh said, "No. My dad is an orthopedic surgeon and my mom is an orthodontist. They have their MD and DDS and I'm working on my VMD. We'll be a trio of doctors, but not the same kind of doctor. I know that's a bad joke."

I smiled and said, "I liked it."

Then Donnie showed up and said, "My man, Prince!"

We gave each other a bear hug and then he said, "I'm on the twelfth floor, so I'm not far. My roommate is a Black guy from Atlanta named Xavier Bordeaux. I told X he should stick around and meet my man, Prince, but he went to see about a job he needs to secure with the Boys & Girls Club. X is studying to get his Master of Social Work so he needs the experience."

After my family and the Brits finished signing autographs, my parents and the twins hugged me goodbye.

Mama said, "I'm not going to tell you to give vet school your all because I know you'll do exactly that."

Dad said, "No matter what, I'll always be proud of you, Prince."

Jabari said, "Make sure to relax 'cause all work and no play will make you a dull guy."

Kenya said, "Keep your wits about you. Philly's crime rate isn't as bad as LA's but don't take any chances."

The Brits didn't need to hug me goodbye since they would be close by for about a week.

When classes started on Tuesday, the work really rejuvenated me. I needed something to challenge my mind and UPenn's vet program is just what I needed. So far, Miguel and Santosh seemed cool. They didn't ask me questions about my family or the Brits. They seemed okay with letting me talk when I wanted to. I also learned more about them.

Miguel said, "I was born and raised in Bushwick. Even though Bushwick has some cool schools, my parents made me take the Specialized High Schools Admission Test. New York's Specialized High Schools are among the best in the whole country and my parents wanted me to have the best education possible."

I said, "Yeah, Hakim told me he went to an Islamic school for boys that's for grades K through twelve. But even though the graduation rate is high, the college-bound rate was quite low. The Khans wanted the best for their son and they also made him take the Test. Hakim said his choice schools, in order of preference, were Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech, Stuy High, and Staten Island Tech. Obviously, he got his second choice."

Miguel said, "Yeah, my preferred schools were Brooklyn Tech, Stuy High, Bronx Science, and Staten Island Tech. Obviously, I got my first choice. Brooklyn Tech uses a college-style system of majors, which is unusual for a high school. Students are placed into a major during the second semester of their sophomore year after ranking all the majors in order of preference. I got my first choice, Biological Sciences, and Hakim also got his first choice, Law and Society. It took awhile to get used to all those rich White kids but we did great at Brooklyn Tech."

Since my Mustang was parked back at Neverland, I used the bus to visit the city of Philadelphia when I had some time off. Donnie's roommate, X, insisted that I visit the Boys & Girls Club. The Boys & Girls Club is located at 4001 Clarissa Street. The bus ride from UPenn to the Boys & Girls takes forty-five minutes so I wasn't planning on being a frequent visitor. The building is located in North Philly, a tough hood. But I've been to plenty of hoods and I kept my instincts honed for any trouble.

The Boys & Girls Club was small but the inside was clean and well-kept. When X saw me, he smiled and told his bosses, "See, I told you I know Prince Jackson."

I explained, "You know my friend, Donnie Powers, who is also your roommate. I don't know you very well yet."

X laughed, pulled at his collar, and said, "Let me introduce you to the karate class."

He led me to a room where a bunch of preteen boys were trying to do karate chops and kicks.

X asked, "Can you teach them some of what your Mama taught you?"

I said, "I can teach them a few things as long as they understand the martial arts code."

X said, "They already know about the code. You can build on that to teach them mental and spiritual stuff."

My natural affinity with kids is something I've inherited from my parents. My parents are crazy about kids. Dad says his greatest inspiration comes from kids. Ma says kids are our hope for the future and the chance for humanity to do better.

Overall, I was loving the City of Brotherly Love.


	26. Chapter 26

Time can get away from you when you're focused on something.

Soon 2008 ended and 2009 began. I had flown home to California for the holidays and then flew back to Philly. When I got back, Donnie kept asking, "What are we gonna do for your birthday?"

I said, "I don't know. I'm not keen on having a big celebration."

Donnie said, "But, Prince, this is your twenty-first birthday! In many cultures a boy becomes a man at age twenty-one."

I said, "Not that many cultures revere a person's twenty-first year. The USA makes a big deal about it more than most other countries I've visited. But I don't hold the twenty-first year in high regard."

Donnie said, "Look, man. Your parents will call you on your b-day to wish you a happy day. Then they'll ask if you're doing anything special. If you say no, they'll be worried about you wallowing yourself in self-pity."

I explained, "I'm not letting myself fall into despair. I just don't want a bunch of girls and guys who are in love with what I am, not who I am, trying to get birthday kisses off me."

Donnie said, "Then we'll make it a celebration with just friends."

I said, "Now that would be cool."

Donnie asked, "Where do you wanna go? Italian, Japanese, Louisiana Creole, or Mexican?"

I gave Donnie a look and he explained, "Not that we can eat at Taco Bell. There are plenty of other Mexican restaurants in Philly. Shoot, we can even drive up to New York to find a decent eatery."

I said, "My birthday is on a Thursday, a school night. That means we need to be able to get back to school with no problems."

Donnie said, "Okay, start picking out a place so I can tell the rest of the guys."

On my twenty-first birthday, my parents, my siblings, my cousins, my godsiblings, DA Watkins, Ethan, and several others all called me in the morning to wish me a happy birthday. Some calls I missed because I was in class but I got plenty of messages on my voicemail.

Donnie, X, Miguel, Santosh, and I all headed out at around five p.m. There were plenty of men and women who kept eyeing me, wishing I would ask them out on a birthday date. But I hadn't met anyone who made me feel what my parents obviously feel when they're around each other. Maybe in the future I would.

The Italian restaurant's cuisine was excellent. We all chowed on pasta, pizza, lasagna, et cetera.

Then Donnie said, "Prince, a man only turns twenty-one once. Plenty of my bros in Harlem never made it to twenty-one. Black life ain't guaranteed, rich or poor, light or dark. That's why we gotta live each minute to our fullest. Prince, you've achieved so many great things in only two decades in life. I know you're gonna keep surprising people and spreading your light across the planet."

I said, "Thanks, Don."


End file.
